Master of Liberal Studies, University of Toledo, 2013, Liberal Studies

The smartphone's potent dependency, hyper-connectivity and distracting habits are changing the world at a rapid pace by tracking movement locations or extracting private contact data and ultimately impacting personal privacy. Attention-grabbing stimuli, surveillance ability, software applications (apps) and user practices associated with the smartphone have been presented as evidence of growing concern as causes for privacy erosion. Based on my review and analysis of the limited scholarly discussion available of this new but fast-developing technology, it is my opinion that apps are exploiting smartphone features to unknowingly rob users of their data by assembling travel patterns and viewing search behaviors. Three main theories shroud the causes of dependency and developing user habits which uncover certain reasons (simplicity and impetuses of the device's functions and features) that legitimizes the enormous acceptance of smartphones even with the risk of privacy loss. The multifaceted smartphone coupled with the speed of change and acceptance has kept researchers and privacy advocates at bay. However, the discovery of hidden surveillance activities and signs of academia's attention to smartphone security issues is promising. As the mobile industry makes modifications to enable user choice not-to-track or collect data, the scope of data loss would be minimized. In this thesis, I am proposing the smartphone surveillance model which encompasses habits, surveillance and choice evolution with a focus on privacy loss. The proposed surveillance model and following synthesis implies that by integrating the major posture of three theories, which collectively address manipulative software and smartphone user processing fluency, the need for explicit user choice is exposed.

Committee: Sumitra Srinivasan (Committee Chair); Paul Fritz (Committee Member); Richard Knecht (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Information Systems; Information Technology; Legal Studies; Mass Communications; Multimedia Communications; Technology

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2020, Engineering (Computer Science)

This thesis titled "Practice-Oriented Cybersecurity Training Framework" offers training applications that will be used as a pedagogy improving tool in the field of cybersecurity education. We believe involving students in active learning by including hands-on intuitive activities to be highly effective in the field of cybersecurity education. The Practice-Oriented training framework contains three malicious android applications namely Email-Lite-Scare, Shop-Shock-Struck and Play- Read-Disrupt that have been developed. The malicious applications are pretend malware that portray the signature behaviors of scareware, ransomware and privacy extortion respectively. To involve students and also to establish an active-learning environment an android application is provided to students as self-exploratory cybersecurity exercise. Psychological learning is emphasized in this approach by exercising the application extensively. Through this we aim to make them cyber aware to recognize new threats and respond to mitigate them. The primary focus of this study is on finding innovative and productive ways to expose high school students to cybersecurity. With advances in technology and the growth in the use of the internet through mobile devices, cybercrime has led to greater exposure for organizations and individuals. Teenagers are easy targets of these cybercrimes, as educating students on current cyber-attacks is seen as a powerful tool to teach cybersecurity, there is a need to educate them on cybersecurity trends. Practice-Oriented cybersecurity training framework is a tool to bridge the skill-gap. The underlying goals also include to develop a security mindset, spread awareness on threats associated with smartphone/tablet usage, and to inculcate interest in cybersecurity careers among high school students. This work contributes to "InviteCyber" project for high school students.

Committee: Ahmad Y Javaid (Committee Chair); Devinder Kaur (Committee Member); Weiqing Sun (Committee Member) Subjects: Academic Guidance Counseling; Computer Engineering; Computer Science; Curriculum Development; Education

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2020, Engineering (Computer Science)

Technology developments and the growth in the use of the Internet through mobile devices have contributed to greater visibility of cybercrime by organizations and individuals. As teens are easy targets of these cybercrimes, they need to be trained on developments in cybersecurity as educating students on current cyber attacks is seen as a powerful tool to teach cybersecurity. This work presents a pedagogical strategy to train students to recognise and respond to potential attacks to alleviate them. This is achieved by cybersecurity activities based on observational, experiential, and real-life practice. Two malicious phishing android applications have been developed, namely Social-Phish, Chat-Phish, and one focusing on cyber-secure practices, namely Quiz Your Permissions. By thoroughly exercising the application, psychological learning is emphasized in this approach. The underlying objectives of this research are to establish a security mindset, to raise awareness of threats associated with the use of smartphones and tablets, and to instill interest among high school students in cybersecurity careers.

Committee: Ahmad Y Javaid (Committee Chair); Devinder Kaur (Committee Member); Weiqing Sun (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Engineering; Curriculum Development; Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2019, Journalism (Communication)

This study worked to determine the amount of attention users of mobile application devices dedicate to opt-in privacy policies. As the average user is often faced with a variety of motivations and distractions when determining whether to download an application, this study created an experimental setting in which certain participants were told that they would have to justify their decision to download with a sample of their peers upon reviewing typical opt-in privacy policies, while others faced a time restraint when making a decision to download. Based on the academic literature, this study hypothesized that 1) When faced with a time restraint, participants would be less likely to download an application than those who did not face a time restraint; 2) Participants who were asked to justify the basis of their decision would be less likely to download an application than those who were not asked to justify their decision; 3) Participants who faced a time restraint and who were not asked to consider the basis of their decisions prior to download would be more likely to download an application than those in other experimental conditions; 4) Participants who did not face a time restraint and who were asked to consider the basis of their decision prior to download would be less likely to download an application than those in other experimental conditions; and 5) Participants who scored higher on a self-efficacy scale would be more likely to download applications than those who scored lower. It also questioned how the various factors outlined in this study (motivation, opportunity, and self-efficacy) worked together to affect the decision-making process. The results of this study help to show that while motivation and opportunity has often been shown to play a role in decision-making processes, age, experience, and self- efficacy may play a larger part in the access mobile application users are willing to provide to third-party developers than was previously consid (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Hans Meyer Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2014, Theatre Arts-Arts Administration

Informative content and visual presentation are each critical when providing a meaningful museum experience for both the casual and sophisticated visitor. For an effective learning experience to take place, knowledge must be turned into information then work in tandem the principles of graphic and exhibition design to achieve successful visual communication. This topic is important to explore because although there are experts in this field, the concepts need to be distilled for a wider audience of museum administration professionals– in all key departments of the museum personnel structure. A succinct document will greatly enhance the collective understanding of the obvious public function of museums and exhibitions, to reveal their higher purpose, which is education. This paper could provide a museum director, education director, curator or an exhibition designer with the incite needed to put together a museum show that is interesting, engaging and educational. It would also be an informative resource for those interested in the new technology developments used to aid a museum visitor.

Committee: Sapienza Neil Mr. (Advisor); Durand Pope Mr. (Committee Member); Gary Holliday Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Art Education; Arts Management; Design; Museum Studies; Museums; Technology

BA, Kent State University, 2013, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

As the style of behavioral health interventions continues to move towards greater use of technology, health locus of control and willingness to use technology-based interventions, or mHealth; may be important factors in the success of these interventions. Research illustrates higher internal locus of control predicts better health-promoting and preventative health behaviors. Research has also demonstrated the initial results for technology-based programs are successful as interventional tools. However, more research is needed on the factors that make individuals more likely to participate in technology-based interventions, such as current rates of participation in risky health behaviors and health locus of control. It was hypothesized internal and powerful other health locus of control beliefs and lower participation in risky health behaviors would predict willing to use online trackers and apps as intervention tools in contrast with chance health locus of control beliefs. This investigation used established measures of health locus of control and risky health behaviors as well as measures of willingness to use online trackers and apps that were created for this study. Overall, those with internal and powerful other health locus of control beliefs were more willing to use online trackers and apps. Additionally, no relationship was found between participation in risky health behaviors and willingness to use technology-based intervention tools. These results suggest health locus of control serves as a mediating factor for use of technological tools for intervention. Furthermore, these results suggested that individualized interventions may increase willingness to participate.

Committee: Joel Hughes Ph.D. (Advisor); Amy Sato Ph.D. (Committee Member); R. Scott Olds Ph.D. (Committee Member); Manfred VanDulmen Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Psychology