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This paper aims to describe a bilateral symmetric approach to authorization, privacy protection and obligation enforcement in distributed transactions. The authors introduce the concept of the obligation of trust (OoT) protocol as a privacy assurance and authorization mechanism that is built upon the XACML standard. The OoT allows two communicating parties to dynamically exchange their privacy and authorization requirements and capabilities, which the authors term a notification of obligation (NoB), as well as their commitments to fulfilling each other's requirements, which the authors term signed acceptance of obligations (SAO). The authors seek to describe some applicability of these concepts and to show how they can be integrated into distributed authorization systems for stricter privacy and confidentiality control.

Existing access control and privacy protection systems are typically unilateral and provider‐centric, in that the enterprise service provider assigns the access rights, makes the access control decisions, and determines the privacy policy. There is no negotiation between the client and the service provider about which access control or privacy policy to use. The authors adopt a symmetric, more user‐centric approach to privacy protection and authorization, which treats the client and service provider as peers, in which both can stipulate their requirements and capabilities, and hence negotiate terms which are equally acceptable to both parties.

The authors demonstrate how the obligation of trust protocol can be used in a number of different scenarios to improve upon the mechanisms that are currently available today.

This approach will serve to increase trust in distributed transactions since each communicating party receives a difficult to repudiate digitally signed acceptance of obligations, in a standard language (XACML), which can be automatically enforced by their respective computing machinery.

The paper adds to current research in trust negotiation, privacy protection and authorization by combining all three together into one set of standardized protocols. Furthermore, by providing hard to repudiate signed acceptance of obligations messages, this strengthens the legal case of the injured party should a dispute arise.

There is a research gap in the explanation of cyber incident response approaches in management to increase cyber maturity for small–medium-size enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, based on the literature analysis, the chapter aims to (1) provide cyber incident response characteristics, (2) show the importance for SMEs, (3) identify cyber incident response feasibility and causal factors, (4) provide scenarios for consideration to create an incident response plan (IRP), and (5) discuss the cyber incident response and managerial approaches in SMEs. The authors used content analysis of scientific and professional articles to develop the theoretical foundation of incident response approaches in management for SMEs. The authors start from the fundamentals to obtain knowledge and understanding of the latest threats and opportunities, and how to defend themselves using the limited capacity of resources might be the starting point to building an extensive incident response capability. Incident response capabilities and maturity levels vary widely between various organisations. There is no simple one-size-fits-all process for incident response; each case is unique and requires continuous refinement. Differentiation and adaptation to different types of SMEs are pivotal to developing cyber maturity and defining requirements that fit the market’s needs and are therefore more efficient in achieving the goal of increasing cyber security (CS) among business management. SMEs may not have a mature IRP, but at least one readiness indicator could lead to the preparation of a mature IRP. Implementation of the secure undertakings and information processes requires using modern information and communication technologies, incident response processes, and other modules that could enhance support for decision-making processes in management. The approach requires a systematic approach to issues related to constructing these solutions. The authors highlight that building efficient incident response approaches in management to improve cyber maturity will begin with infrastructure and people factors.

The dependence on the use of information systems for nearly every activity and functions in the internet is increasingly high. This form of interconnectedness has bolstered national economies, enhanced how governments interact with their citizens and how ordinary people connect with friends and family. However, this dependence has equally resulted to a high rise in vulnerability, threat and risk associated with more use of information and communication technology. Cyber-attacks that have the potential to disrupt or damage information system infrastructure are getting more complex with some level of sophistication. Traditional protection of information system infrastructure is no longer sufficient; systems have proven to be immune to failure or incidents. This paper aims to ensure that there is a continuous availability of services through a fail-safe proof.

MYSQL replication technique was used to develop a model based on three-tier layers using the principle of network interdependency and the replication techniques. Tier 1 depicts a Telecom organization serving as service provider that provides internet service to Tier 2 organization – a Bank; Tier 3 is the financial App that can be used by bank staff and customers. The fail-safe mode integrated mechanism enables Tier 3 to continue to render its services in the event of an attack on Tier 1 such as DDoS without disruption.

This technique succeeded in mitigating the loss of data if cyber incident occurred or reception of uninterrupted services is countered, which give rise to future master-to-master architecture.

The study conducted is limited to the design and development of a fail-safe system for interdependent networks or systems using MYSQL replication technique.

In an interdependent environment such as the cyberspace, the sectors are interdependent for optimal results. The originality of the work ensures that there is availability of services which is sustained and that data integrity is assured using the fail-safe technique based on MySQL replication method.

The innovativeness of dressmakers is a concern to respondents to satisfy their clothing needs. The purpose of this study is to determine the criteria that respondents use to judge the quality of clothing and its influences on the innovative ability of dressmakers in the clothing manufacturing industries.

Three hundred and ninety-seven (397) respondents in the Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana filled out a questionnaire, and the results were used to compile data for the study. The sample size was calculated using Miller and Brewer formula. The data was analysed using structural equational modelling with the SmartPLS v.4 software.

The results showed that respondents are very interested in the calibre of clothing produced by their dressmakers. However, the study revealed that when evaluating the quality of a garment, respondents do not simply accept what has been sewn for them but also consider the performance, appearance, fit and shape of the garment. Findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between garment appearance quality (t = 2.605; p < 0.05), garment performance quality (t = 3.915; p < 0.05), garment shape quality (t = 6.248; p <0.05) and fashion innovations. Subsequently, the evaluation of garment fit quality by respondents revealed it does not bring about innovations (t = 1.310; p > 0.05).

The continuous evaluation of custom-made clothing from customers will go a long way towards highlighting the relative criteria they use to evaluate the innovation of dressmakers. This will help improve the creativity of the dressmakers since such feedback will help them understand and innovate their production skills to meet the preferences of customers.

The present study provides an in-depth understanding of how garment quality evaluation by customers influences the innovation of dressmakers in Takoradi, Ghana. The constructs were developed for the study to capture the appropriate data from customers for the study. This presents an evaluation criterion on four garment quality variables imperative for use or modification by other studies.

This chapter develops an integrated model that encompasses four aspects: (1) face-to-face (F2F), (2) online teaching, (3) massive open online courses (MOOCs), and (4) the combination of Western, localized, and indigenous knowledge to provide blended entrepreneurship education. The model emphasizes the importance of a heutagogical approach and the institutional environment in blended entrepreneurship education. It is then applied to a start-up university to help develop students’ entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurial identity aspirations, and entrepreneurial skills. The model’s implications for research and entrepreneurship education are discussed.

This study aims to assess the impact of adopting selected green construction site practices on the health and safety performance of the construction projects. The impact of storm-water management, energy management and construction waste management on projects health and safety performance was also examined.

A survey was conducted to collect information from Class A contractors in Nigeria, and 168 usable responses were received. The data were analysed using the partial least squares (PLSs) structural equation modelling technique.

The findings indicate that energy management and waste management practices have significant effects on the health and safety performance of the construction projects, while storm-water management has no effect.

Project and site managers need to take into consideration the skill set of their workforce when attempting to adopt new innovative construction strategies the workers are unfamiliar with in a changing construction environment. There is also a need for more training of workers on generic and specific green skills to avoid health and safety challenges on site.

The findings of this study make significant contribution to the debate on the health and safety performance of green projects, as only a few studies have been conducted on this topic. The empirical relationships between the constructs of energy management, waste management, storm-water management and health and safety performance are unique in the context of other related studies and have advanced the body of existing knowledge.

Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat to agriculture in Africa, because of its impact on pre- and post-harvest agricultural productivity. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical information on the challenges of cassava post-harvest adaptation to climate change.

The study was conducted in two randomly selected states of southeast Nigeria. Data collection was done in two phases; first, there was a rapid rural appraisal and then a detailed survey using a questionnaire administered to 320 randomly selected cassava processors, 40 from each of eight randomly selected cassava farming communities.

The respondents were predominantly women, who process, and grow cassava. The factors affecting their level of vulnerability were gender, household size and farm size. While women were more vulnerable than men, households with greater number of persons and/or larger farm size were less vulnerable. Women's vulnerability declined from the 25th income quantile through the 50th to the 75th while the positive effect of farm and household size increased through the same trend. Education was only positively important for the 75th income quantile. The factors constraining adaptation were scarcity of processing inputs, institutional, water and poverty constraints.

Available literature show that most of the recent studies on climate change and agriculture have tended to concentrate on pre-harvest. Ozor et al. studied barriers to climate change adaptation among farm households of southern Nigeria. Enete and Onyekuru studied empirical evidence of challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change, also among farmers of southeast Nigeria. Enete and Amusa presented a literature survey of challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change. This study is, not only commodity specific, but also focused on post-harvest.

This paper focuses on the methods for achieving effective and sustainable HIV/AIDS information dissemination to the rural women in Imo State, Nigeria.

A discursive paper with an argument based on reliable sources from the literature.

The paper argues that the various channels already used to disseminate HIV/AIDS information to the rural women, such as the establishment of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), the organisation of conferences and talks, and the use of mass media, may not be achieving the desired results in view of the fact that in spite of all the campaigns, the rates of infection continue upwards.

The focus of the paper is practical rather than research‐oriented, but if new methods were adopted, further research would be needed to see if these methods were indeed effective.

This paper identifies better practical methods for disseminating AIDS information, advocating the use of institutional frameworks, community inter‐groups, community information centres, information repackaging and the adoption of vernacular as the language of communication as effective and sustainable methods of disseminating HIV/AIDS information to rural women.

If adopted, the new methods outlined in this paper will encourage innovatory and more effective ways of improving information flow thus improving public health.