Natalia Makova graduated from Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine, and has recently passed her MPhil viva at the Wessex Institute of Technology with a thesis entitled “Analysis of Information System Security Metrics Data”. The external examiner was Dr Rinat Khoussainov from the University of Portsmouth and the internal examiner was Prof. Carlos Brebbia.Her research was dedicated to the analysis of security metrics data. The goal of the research was to improve the process of analysing security metrics results by dividing them into groups using Clustering Analysis technology. All necessary calculations were performed using the Matlab software application. During the research the following Clustering algorithms have been compared: k-means, k-medoids, Fuzzy C-means and Gustafson-Kessel. The research showed that the k-medoids clustering algorithm produced the best results when working with metrics data.
Also applying clustering algorithms helped to present information in a visual and informative form. In order to visualize clustering results pairs of objects have been plotted in 2-dimensional space. Objects that were assigned to the same cluster were marked with one color and had similar shape. Such a graphical representation made it more convenient to investigate the security metrics results.
Further investigations will focus on analysing new modifications of existing clustering algorithms and improving the visualization of clustering results.
As a result of her research both examiners recommended that Natalia be awarded the degree of Master of Philosophy. Natalia has now returned to Kharkov, Ukraine where she works in the software development company as a Quality Assurance Engineer.
Natalia is very grateful to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for their support.
Wessex Institute