Tag Archives: Toomas Vaks

Cyber Security master’s theses defense in TalTech/UT (August 2021)

Defence of master theses of Cyber Security curriculum on August 10th 2021 online

Time: 09:00
Student: Ilker Furkan Kahyalar
Title: A Comparative Study of Virtualization Solutions for Cybersecurity Labs
Supervisor: Risto Vaarandi
Reviewer: Toomas Lepik

Time: 09:40
Student: Martin Välbe
Title: Benchmarking of Android Applications’ System Calls Behavior: Implications for Malware Detection
Supervisor: Alejandro Manzanares, Tarmo Oja
Reviewer: Risto Vaarandi

Time: 10:20
Student: Mohamed Nasef Ibrahim Mohamed
Title: Towards a new method for teaching malware analysis for Cyber Security students
Supervisor: Toomas Lepik
Reviewer: Pavel Tšikul

Time: 11:30
Student: Thilina Nenathunga
Title: Identity and Access Management, and Audit trails for Continuous Delivery infrastructure on Amazon Web Services platform
Supervisor: Toomas Lepik
Reviewer: Risto Vaarandi

Time: 12:10
Student: Bisrat Woldeyes Ambaye
Title: Adversarial Machine Learning Poisoning Attacks on Mobile Check Deposits
Supervisor: Alejandro Manzanares
Reviewer: Matthew Sorell

Time: 12:50
Student: Md Forhad Hossain
Title: Adapting Active Learning for Intrusion Detection Within Security Operation Center Context
Supervisor: Hayretdin Bahsi
Reviewer: Alejandro Manzanares

Time: 14:00
Student: Muhammad Junaid Farrukh
Title: Evaluation of Agile Threat Modeling Methods to Identify Threats to Privacy in Robotic Systems
Supervisor: Andrew Roberts
Reviewer: Shaymaa Khalil

Time: 14:40
Student: Raigo Vilur
Title: Evaluation of Secure Channel Communication for Cloud-Based Autonomous Vehicle Telematics
Supervisor: Andrew Roberts, Nikita Snetkov
Reviewer: Olaf Maennel

Defence of master theses of Cyber Security curriculum on August 11th 2021 online

Time: 12:00 (closed defence)
Student: Wellington Oscar Alves De Souza
Title: Cybercrime knowledge of identity theft investigators in Estonian FinTech
Supervisor: Maria Claudia Solarte Vasquez, Sten Mäses
Reviewer: Toomas Vaks

Time: 12:40
Student: Abhisek Ojha
Title: Cybersecurity Awareness among Engineering students of West Bengal , India
Supervisor: Sten Mäses
Reviewer: Kaido Kikkas

Time: 13:40
Student: Alex Bindevald
Title: Cyber Security at schools – challenges, opportunities and needs for CTF-solution
Supervisor: Birgy Lorenz
Reviewer: Sten Mäses

Time: 14:20
Student: Orkhan Rustamli
Title: Analysis of Cyber Security Awareness Level of Secondary High-school Students: The Case of Azerbaijan
Supervisor: Kaie Maennel
Reviewer: Sten Mäses

Defence of master theses of Cyber Security curriculum on August 12th 2021 online

Time: (withdrawn)
Student: Anupam Rakshit
Title: Pragmatic Comparison of Machine Learning Models to Detect The Type Of Attacks In An IoT Network Traffic
Supervisor: Pelle Jakovits
Reviewer: Alejandro Manzanares

Time: 10:00
Student: Vasile Tarlev
Title: Compatibility of the European Blockchain Service Infrastructure with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation
Supervisor: Anna-Maria Osula, Andres Ojamaa, Vladimir Rogojin
Reviewer: Eneken Tikk

Time: 10:40
Student: Henry Ochieng’ Dola
Title: Cyber Threat Modeling of A Water Quality Monitoring System
Supervisor: Hayretdin Bahsi, Jeffrey Andrew Tuhtan
Reviewer: Andrew Roberts

Time: 11:20
Student: Andris Männik
Title: Cyber Awareness Verification Using Phishing Assessments
Supervisor: Kaido Kikkas
Reviewer: Kaie Maennel

Time: 12:30
Student: Oluwatosin Soremekun
Title: Method for cyber threat modelling and validation of public transportation systems
Supervisor: Hayretdin Bahsi, Andrew Roberts
Reviewer: Liivar Luts

Time: 13:10
Student: Tino Apostolovski
Title: Design of a system for secure communication between ATC and Drone Pilot
Supervisor: Olaf Maennel, Dariana Khisteva
Reviewer: Andrew Roberts, Nikita Snetkov

Time: 13:50
Student: Gulkhara Babayeva
Title: Domain Ontology for Cyber Defense Exercises
Supervisor: Olaf Maennel, Kaie Maennel
Reviewer: Rain Ottis

August 12, 2021 online:

Time: 09:00
Student: Olorunshe Temilola Esther (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: Recognition of Phishing Attacks and its Impact: A Case Study
Supervisor: Raimundas Matulevicius
Reviewer: Abasi-Amefon Affia

Cybersecurity related bachelor’s and master’s theses in University of Tartu 2018/2019 (June)

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The defences are taking place on the first and second week of June.

Student: Ivo Pure (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: An Automated Methodology for Validating Web Related Cyber Threat Intelligence by Implementing a Honeyclient
Supervisor: Risto Vaarandi, Raimundas Matulevicius
Reviewer: Alejandro Manzanares

Student: Bruno Didier Produit (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: Optimization of the ROCA (CVE-2017-15361) Attack
Supervisor: Arnis Paršovs
Reviewer: Jan Villemson

Student: Kärt Padur (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: Information Security Risk Assessment in the Context of Outsourcing in a Financial Institution
Supervisor: Raimundas Matulevičius, Liis Rebane, Toomas Vaks
Reviewer: Andro Kull

Student: Marek Matsalu (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: The Development of Digital Forensics Workforce Competency on the Example of Estonian Defence League
Supervisor: Raimundas Matulevičius, Hillar Põldmaa
Reviewer: Hayretdin Bahsi

Student: Pubudini Gayanjalie Dissanayake (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: A Comparison of Security Risk Analysis in the In-house IT Infrastructure and Cloud Infrastructure for the Payment Gateway System
Supervisor: Hayretdin Bahsi, Raimundas Matulevičius
Reviewer: Alexander Horst Norta

Student: Lukáš Bortník (Cyber Security MSc)
Title: Mobile Phone Digital Evidence Providers to Investigate Driver’s Distraction
Supervisor: Pavel Laptev, Satish Narayana Srirama
Reviewer: Matthew Sorell

Student: Mari Seeba (Conversion Master in IT)
Title: A Specification of Layer-Based Information Security Management System for the Issue Tracking System
Supervisor: Raimundas Matulevičius, Ahto Buldas
Reviewer: Meelis Roos

Student: Doris Sarapuu (Conversion Master in IT)
Title: Penetration Testing of Glia’s Web Application
Supervisor: Kristjan Krips, Carlos Paniagua
Reviewer: Riivo Talviste

Student: Kaspar Kala (Conversion Master in IT)
Title: Refinement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Model: Administrative Fines Perspective
Supervisor: Raimundas Matulevičius, Jake Tom
Reviewer: Eneken Tikk

Student: Maksym Yerokhin (Software Engineering MSc)
Title: Multi-level Policy-aware Privacy Analysis
Supervisor: Pille Pullonen, Luciano García-Bañuelos
Reviewer: Sara Belluccini

Student: Reelika Tõnisson (Computer Science MSc)
Title: Tighter Post-quantum Secure Encryption Schemes Using Semi-classical Oracles
Supervisor: Dominique Peer Ghislain Unruh
Reviewer: Sven Laur

Student: Helen Tera (Computer Science BSc)
Title: Introduction to Post-Quantum Cryptography in Scope of NIST’s Post-Quantum Competition
Supervisor: Dominique Unruh
Reviewer: Raul-Martin Rebane

Student: Omar Purik (Computer Science BSc)
Title: Creation of Practical Assignments on Information Security for High School Students
Supervisor: Kristjan Krips, Tauno Palts
Reviewer:

Links:
https://comserv.cs.ut.ee/ati_thesis/index.php?year=2019
https://www.cs.ut.ee/sites/default/files/www_ut/kaitsmised_v_30-05.pdf

Personnel changes in RIA cyber security division

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Anto Veldre, a legendary Estonian security specialist leaves RIA:

From the beginning of the year, the State Information System Authority (RIA) discharged an experienced IT security expert and promoter Anto Veldre. Veldre has worked as an analyst at the incident handling department at CERT-EE and in the Communications Department.

Helen Uldrich, head of RIA Communications Department, explained the discharge of Anto Veldre by the change in the structure of their unit from 2018. The analyst’s place where Veldre previously worked was changed into a spokesperson’s position and, as a result, his duties changed.

“Unfortunately, RIA did not have another position to offer Anto that would correspond to his professional profile. The whole staff of the State Information System Agency highly appreciates Anto and his contribution, for example, to explaining the functioning of the e-state,” added Uldrich.

Klaid Mägi, the head of CERT-EE leaves RIA:

Klaid Mägi, head of CERT-EE will leave the state office and continue to work at CybExer Technologies, a private Estonian company promoting cyber hygiene. Mägi has led the unit since autumn 2014. Previously, he has worked at the Ministry of Finance, Elisa and Elion.

Uku Särekanno, the new Deputy Director General of RIA Cyber Security Branch:

The authority organised a public competition last October to find a director for the Cyber Security Branch. About ten people applied for the position. The Director General of the Information System Authority chose the suitable candidate in early December.

Previously, Uku Särekanno has worked at different positions in the European Commission, the Government Office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the Public Order and Criminal Policy Department of the Ministry of the Interior, and represented Estonia in Brussels regarding issues of migration and police cooperation.

Before, since September 2011, this responsibility has been borne by Toomas Vaks, who previously worked as a risk manager for bank cards in Swedbank, before he was employed at Hansapank.

Links:
https://tehnika.postimees.ee/4367831/ria-koondas-legendaarse-eesti-turvaspetsialisti-anto-veldre
https://geenius.ee/uudis/ria-koondas-eesti-turvaspetsialisti-anto-veldre/
https://www.err.ee/654409/ria-uks-juhivtootaja-klaid-magi-lahkub-toole-erasektorisse
https://geenius.ee/uudis/riast-lahkus-toolt-jargmine-tippekspert-certi-juht-klaid-magi/
https://geenius.ee/uudis/peterkop-me-ei-suuda-erasektoriga-voistelda-aga-pakume-erilist-tood/
https://www.ria.ee/en/uku-sarekanno-is-the-deputy-director-general-of-the-information-system-authority.html
https://geenius.ee/uudis/uus-eesti-kuberkaitse-juht-meie-maine-hoidmiseks-ei-piisa-enam-ainult-raakimisest-ja-konverentsidel-kaimisest/
http://arileht.delfi.ee/news/uudised/ria-endine-kuberturbejuht-macgyveri-teibiga-e-riiki-ei-ehitata?id=79908056

Conference “The Present and Future of Cybersecurity”

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Conference “The Present and Future of Cybersecurity”
April 26, 2017, National Library of Estonia

13.00-13.30 – Registration and welcome coffee
13.30-13.40 – Opening words – Urve Palo (Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology)
13.40-14.00 – Keynote – Jaak Aaviksoo (Rector of TUT)
14.00-15.00 – Discussion “Evolution of cyber attacks – what has changed in ten years?” Klaid Mägi (RIA, head of CERT-EE) leader. Debating: Hillar Aarelaid (Police and Border Guard Board), Jaan Priisalu (TUT), Merike Käo (Farsight Security CTO)
15.00-15.30 – Cofee break
15.30-17.00 – Discussion “Discurses, paradigms and form of cyber policy in practice” Taimar Peterkop (Director General of RIA) leader. Debating: Sven Sakkov (Director of NATO CCD CoE), Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar (European Union, Head of Cyber Policy Coordination at European External Action Service), Lauri Lugna (Secretary General at the Ministry of Interior), Lauri Almann (Co-Founder of BHC Laboratory)
17.00-17.30 – Closing words – Toomas Vaks (RIA, Head of Cyber Security Branch)
17.30-19.30 – After conference reception. Appearance of RIA band VaRIA.

Work language of the conference is Estonian.

Links:
http://kyberkonverents.publicon.ee/registreerimine/

Bitcoin miners found in Pärnu Hospital

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Last spring Pärnu Hospital received information that it is involved in a massive virtual money, or so-called bitcoin mining. “Arguably, this was the largest bitcoin miner in the area of Pärnu,” added the source. It turned out that bitcoin mining in the hospital was performed for nearly two years.

It would be interesting to know how the mining was discovered. There is no place in Bitcoin ecosystem where one could list “largest miners in the area of Pärnu”.

The mining was performed by the hospital network administrator and medical technician – they used in total six devices for this purpose. Some of the equipment was placed on the 8th floor in ventilation equipment rooms. The devices had multiple graphics cards, as well as a smaller machine Antminer was running Linux operating system from the SD card. Larger servers using Windows Server 2012 platform also engaged in the extraction of virtual money.

The medical technician was let go but the network administrator was given only a warning.

RIA will now investigate whether bitcoin mining had security implications:

“Based on media coverage, it cannot be excluded that the case could be a security incident,” said Toomas Vaks, Deputy Director General of Information System’s Authority.

Links:
http://tehnika.postimees.ee/4005003/turvarisk-ria-asus-uurima-bitcoinide-kaevandamist-paernu-haiglas
http://geenius.ee/uudis/kruptoraha-ekspert-parnu-haiglas-olnud-masinad-ei-pruukinud-olla-tulutoovad