Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and Blockchain: A Review

Applications of Machine Learning (ML) and Mathematical Modeling (MM) in Healthcare with Special Focus on Cancer Prognosis and Anticancer Therapy: Current Status and Challenges

The use of data-driven high-throughput analytical techniques, which has given rise to computational oncology, is undisputed. The widespread use of machine learning (ML) and mathematical modeling (MM)-based techniques is widely acknowledged. These two approaches have fueled the advancement in cancer research and eventually led to the uptake of telemedicine in cancer care. For diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment purposes concerning different types of cancer research, vast databases of varied information with manifold dimensions are required, and indeed, all this information can only be managed by an automated system developed utilizing ML and MM. In addition, MM is being used to probe the relationship between the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD interactions) of anti-cancer substances to improve cancer treatment, and also to refine the quality of existing treatment models by being incorporated at all steps of research and development related to cancer and in routine patient care. This review will serve as a consolidation of the advancement and benefits of ML and MM techniques with a special focus on the area of cancer prognosis and anticancer therapy, leading to the identification of challenges (data quantity, ethical consideration, and data privacy) which are yet to be fully addressed in current studies.

MarketTrust: blockchain-based trust evaluation model for SIoT-based smart marketplaces

Due to the significance of trust in Social Internet of Things (SIoT)-based smart marketplaces, several research have focused on trust-related challenges. Trust is necessary for a smooth connection, secure systems, and dependable services during trade operations. Recent SIoT-based trust assessment approaches attempt to solve smart marketplace trust evaluation difficulties by using a variety of direct and indirect trust evaluation techniques and other local trust rating procedures. Nevertheless, these methodologies render trust assessment very sensitive to seller dishonesty, and a dishonest seller may influence local trust scores and at the same time pose a significant trust related threats in the system. In this article, a MarketTrust model is introduced, which is a blockchain-based method for assessing trust in an IoT-based smart marketplace. It has three parts: familiarity, personal interactions, and public perception. A conceptual model, assessment technique, and a global trust evaluation system for merging the three components of a trust value are presented and discussed. Several experiments were conducted to assess the model's security, viability, and efficacy. According to results, the MarketTrust model scored a 21.99% higher trust score and a 47.698% lower average latency than both benchmark models. Therefore, this illustrates that using the proposed framework, a potential buyer can efficiently choose a competent and trustworthy resource seller in a smart marketplace and significantly reduce malicious behavior.

The role of digitalization in business and management: a systematic literature review

Digitalization is a powerful engine for economic growth in the world. In 2018, digitally transformed firms represented 13.5 billion US dollars of global GDP and, towards the end of 2023, they are expected to represent 53.3 billion US dollars, over half of the general nominal GDP (Statista, Nominal GDP driven by digitally transformed and other enterprises worldwide 2018–2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1134766/nominal-gdp-driven-by-digitally-transformed-enterprises/, 2022). The main objective of this study is to provide information (highlighting principal research topics and research agendas) from the literature on state-of-the-art digitalization within firms through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). In all, 119 review articles on the most mature functional areas of the firm are analyzed: management, marketing, and finance and accounting, published in the WOS over the period 2018-April 2022. In this study, key relevant tendencies are identified in the most mature areas of the firm, which are the impact of digital technologies on the analysis of consumer behavior; digitalization and green innovation within organizations; and blockchain technology applied to financial services. The main contributions of this work are as follows: (1) to provide the most complete and up-to-date review of digitalization from a global perspective, summarizing the current state of knowledge within an integrated framework; (2) to reduce the complexity of digitalization by offering structure and clarity; and (3) to offer links between digitalization and established points of view in the literature on management, marketing, finance, and accounting. The novelty of this paper is centered on a joint analysis of digitalization, digital transformation, and digital technologies, taking into account the most mature functional areas of the firm.

Effect of blockchain technology initiatives on firms' market value

Despite blockchain's potential to transform corporations by providing new ways of organizing business processes and handling information, extant research pays inadequate attention to how and under what conditions blockchain technology provides additional financial value for shareholders. Drawing on the efficient market hypothesis and signaling theory, we examined the relationship between firms' blockchain use, development announcements, and stock market reactions. We used the event study methodology to analyze a sample of blockchain projects initiated by US firms between 2016 and 2019. The sample contains 114 firm-event observations. The findings show that the average abnormal return over a 2 days event period (including the day of the announcement and the day after the announcement) was positive. This positive stock market reaction is even more substantial when firms announce blockchain projects that focus on saving cost or time. Our findings also indicate that blockchain announcements tend to elicit more positive market reactions from smaller firms. We analyzed 249 firm-event observations containing firms from around the world and conclude that blockchain technology has a non-significant long-term impact on operating performance. The contingency approach adopted in our research provides advice for selecting the right mix of blockchain investment initiatives that is most suitable for a given organizational context.

Exploration of the Impact of Cybersecurity Awareness on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales Using Intelligent Software to Combat Cybercrime

Intelligent software packages have become fast-growing in popularity for large businesses in both developed and developing countries, due to their higher availability in detecting and preventing cybercrime. However, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are showing prominent gaps in this adoption due to their level of awareness and knowledge towards cyber security and the security mindset. This is due to their priority of running their businesses over requiring using the right technology in protecting their data. This study explored how SMEs in Wales are handling cybercrime and managing their daily online activities the best they can, in keeping their data safe in tackling cyber threats. The sample collected consisted of 122 Welsh SME respondents in a collection of data through a survey questionnaire. The results and findings showed that there were large gaps in the awareness and knowledge of using intelligent software, in particular the uses of machine learning integration within their technology to track and combat complex cybercrime that perhaps would have been missed by standard cyber security software packages. The study’s findings showed that only 30% of the sampled SMEs understood the terminology of cyber security. The awareness of machine learning and its algorithms was also questioned in the implementation of their cyber security software packages. The study further highlighted that Welsh SMEs were unaware of what this software could do to protect their data. The findings in this paper also showed that various elements such as education and the size of SME made an impact on their choices for the right software packages being implemented, compared to elements such as age, gender, role and being a decision maker, having no impact on these choices. The study finally shares the investigations of various SME strategies to help understand the risks, and to be able to plan for future contingencies and preparation in keeping data safe and secure for the future.

Cybersecurity Challenges in Blockchain Technology: A Scoping Review

Blockchain technology (BCT) is an emerging technology. Cybersecurity challenges in BCT are being explored to add greater value to business processes and reshape business operations. This scoping review paper was aimed at exploring the current literature’s scope and categorizing various types of cybersecurity challenges in BCT. Databases such as Elsevier, ResearchGate, IEEE, ScienceDirect, and ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest) were searched using a combination of terms, and after rigorous screening, 51 research studies were found relevant. Data coding was performed following a framework proposed for scoping review. After careful analysis, thirty different types of cybersecurity challenges in BCT were categorized into six standardized classes. Our results show that most of the studies disclose cybersecurity challenges in BCT generally without pointing to any specific industry sector, and to a very little extent, few papers reveal cybersecurity challenges in BCT related to specific industry sectors. Also, prior studies barely investigated the strategies to minimize cybersecurity challenges in BCT. Based on gap identification, future research avenues were proposed for scholars.