Gilles Usaf

Bio: Gilles Usaf is an academic researcher. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 88 citations.

Computer Security

Abstract: An important, emerging trend in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT) are low-power networks (LPNs), referring to networks that target devices with very limited access to energy sources. While there are several approaches that allow to comply to these novel power restrictions, none of them provide a sufficient level of security, in particular with respect to data protection. In this paper, we propose a data protection scheme that ensures endto-end security from low-power devices to backend applications. It meets the technical constraints imposed by LPNs, while preserving data confidentiality and integrity. Our solution has been deployed on the water distribution network of the City of Antibes in France. The evaluation of the overhead introduced by the proposed data protection scheme shows promising results with respect to power (battery) consumption.

Silver Bullets, Subjugation, and Adaptation: Why Some Militaries Thrive and Others Falter in the Face of Technological Change

Abstract: by Nathaniel R. Huston Why do some militaries thrive while others falter when faced with technological change? Studies of militaries and technology have tended to treat innovation as a binary concept: either the military innovates and adapts, or it does not. This research, however, indicates that this dualistic view of innovation is mistaken, that in fact militaries respond to change in a number of ways, one of which can have long-lasting effects at the geopolitical level. By examining the development of air power between World War I and the end of World War II, this work seeks to answer the following questions: Under what conditions can technological change contribute to a disruption in military affairs, and how and why do militaries fall short of achieving them? I contend that the answers to these questions lie in characteristics of the militaries themselves, specifically aspects of their nature as large bureaucracies and their relationships with the technology they wish to exploit. Analysts often treat militaries either as homogenous social institutions, responding to domestic or international conditions in similar ways, or as idiosyncratic projections of the leaders at their helm. I argue, by contrast, that militaries vary systematically in

Eisenhower: Decision-making and Consensus in an Unfamiliar Context

Abstract: : This monograph examines the process by which Dwight D. Eisenhower developed his administration's national security policy, and the lessons that it presents for planners. Eisenhower's experiences provide examples of modern design theory in action, particularly managing the interests of multiple stakeholders, building consensus, and confronting complex problems. The study begins by establishing Eisenhower's experience with planning, and provides the context for his development of national security strategy. The creation of a National Security Council, provided many of the foundational materials for Eisenhower's national security strategy. Project Solarium, a planning exercise directed by Eisenhower during the creation of his administration's national security policy, illustrates an approach to systematically design solutions to complex problems, and gain commitment from all participants.

Situation Awareness and campaign assessments

Abstract: Military-led nation building campaigns can face many challenges as advances in certain aspects such as the economy and infrastructure may well be accompanied by setbacks in other areas such as security, making it difficult to judge overall progress. In this context, campaign assessments provide vital decision support for adapting strategy and deploying resources to best effect. The value of such assessments is enhanced when they report not only what has happened but why and when they also indicate likely future events—mirroring the three levels in Endsley’s model of Situation Awareness. Our aim is to develop a process for evaluating changes to the complex organisational structure and processes used for producing assessment documents, even if it is difficult to understand the linkages between such changes and output quality. Using 2 years’ worth of Australian Defence Force quarterly campaign assessments, we study the effect of adoption of a new analysis framework in their production. Using the conventions of thematic analysis and Endsley’s model of Situation Awareness, we introduce the Situation Awareness Elicitation method for obtaining metrics pertaining to the value of assessments before and after introduction of the framework and perform statistical analysis on this data.