Research
Publications
Journal Papers
Ashish Nanda, Jongkil Jay Jeong, Syed Wajid Ali Shah, Mohammad Nosouhi, and Robin Doss, "Examining Usable Security Features and User Perceptions of Physical Authentication Devices." Computers & Security, 2024 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Syed Wajid Ali Shah, Jongkil Jay Jeong, Robin Doss, and Jeb Webb, "Towards Higher Levels of Assurance in Remote Identity Proofing", IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, 2023 - Published
Mohammad Reza Nosouhi, Syed W Shah, Lei Pan, Yevhen Zolotavkin, Ashish Nanda, Praveen Gauravaram and Robin Doss, "Weak-Key Analysis for BIKE Post-Quantum Key Encapsulation Mechanism", IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security, 2023 - Published
Deepak Puthal, Stanly Wilson, Ashish Nanda, Ming Liu, Srinibas Swain, Biswa P.S. Sahoo, Kumar Yelamarthi, Prashant Pillai, Hesham El-Sayed and Mukesh Prasad, "Decision tree based user-centric security solution for critical IoT infrastructure", Computers & Electrical Engineering, Volume 99, 2022 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Deepak Puthal, Joel Rodrigues and Sergei Kozlov, "Internet of Autonomous Vehicles Communications Security: Overview, Issues, and Directions", IEEE Wireless Communications, 2019 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Priyadarsi Nanda, Xiangjian He, Aruna Jamdagni, and Deepak Puthal, "A hybrid encryption technique for Secure-GLOR: The adaptive secure routing protocol for dynamic wireless mesh networks", Future Generation Computer Systems (FGCS), 2018 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Deepak Puthal, Saraju Mohanty and Uma Choppali, "A Computing Perspective of Quantum Cryptography", IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, 2018 - Published
Deepak Puthal, Rajiv Ranjan, Ashish Nanda, Priyadrsi Nanda, Prem P Jayaraman and Albert Y Zomaya, "Secure Authentication and Load Balancing of Distributed Edge Datacenters", Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, 2018 - Published
Conference Papers
Amiya Kumar Sahu, Suraj Sharma, and Ashish Nanda, "A secure lightweight mutual authentication and key agreement protocol for healthcare systems.", Intelligent Data Security Solutions for e-Health Applications. Academic Press, 2020 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Priyadarsi Nanda, Mohammed S. Obaidat, Xiangjian He and Deepak Puthal, "A Novel Multi-Path Anonymous Randomized Key Distribution Scheme for Geo Distributed Networks", IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM) 2019 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Priyadarsi Nanda, Xiangjian He and Deepak Puthal, "A Novel Hybrid Authentication Model for Geo Location Oriented Routing in Dynamic Wireless Mesh Networks", 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-51) 2018 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Priyadarsi Nanda, Xiangjian He, Aruna Jamdagni, and Deepak Puthal, "Secure-GLOR: An Adaptive Secure Routing Protocol for Dynamic Wireless Mesh Networks", 16th IEEE International Conference on Trust, Security and Privacy in Computing and Communications (IEEE TrustCom-17) 2017 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Priyadarsi Nanda and Xiangjian He, "Geo-Location Oriented Routing Protocol for Smart Dynamic Mesh Network", 18th IEEE International Conference on High-Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC-2016) 2016 - Published
Ashish Nanda, Priyadarsi Nanda, Xiangjian He and Aruna Jamdagni, "A Secure Routing Scheme for Wireless Mesh Networks", 12th International Conference on Information Systems Security (ICISS-2016) 2016 - Published
Books
Ashish Nanda, "Cybersecurity and Distributed Systems: Exploring the future of secure decentralised networks" LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany, ISBN 978-620-2- 68366-1, (2020) - Published
Articles
Ashish Nanda, Jeb Webb, Jongkil Jay Jeong, Mohammad Reza Nosouhi and Syed Wajid Ali Shah, "Crypto scams will increase over the holidays – here’s what you need to know to not fall victim", The Conversation, 2022, (https://theconversation.com/crypto-scams-will-increase-over-the-holidays-heres-what-you-need-to-know-to-not-fall-victim-194064) - Published
Jongkil Jay Jeong, Ashish Nanda and Syed Wajid Ali Shah, "What is multi-factor authentication, and how should I be using it?", The Conversation, 2022, (https://theconversation.com/what-is-multi-factor-authentication-and-how-should-i-be-using-it-191591) - Published
Robin Doss, Jay Jeong, Syed W. Shah, Ashish Nanda and Jeb Webb, "Usable Security - the secret key to adoption of your cyber security technology", CyberAustralia, 2022-23, (https://cyberaustralia.partica.online/cyberaustralia/2022-2023/flipbook/132/) - Published
Ashish Nanda, Pulkit Rohilla and Yukti Mangal, "Gesture Recognition System" (ID: COG153), National Conference on Innovations in Computing and Information Technology (Cognition-2015), 2015 - Published
Media Interactions
SBS News - Interview for Online Article - 2023, "Crypto scams are on the rise. How I avoided a trap by starting a conversation with a scammer" (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/crypto-scams-are-on-the-rise-how-i-avoided-a-trap-by-starting-a-conversation-with-a-scammer/qwrbggzve)
SBS The Feed - Interview for a video - 2023, "I DM'ed a get-rich-quick scammer on Instagram | Explainer | SBS The Feed" (https://youtu.be/ysypiO7spXs)
The Guardian - Interview for Online Article - 2023, "Fake text messages on the rise, but experts warn Australians most losses are from more sophisticated scams" (https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/jan/25/fake-text-message-sms-australia-losses-more-sophisticated-scams)
SBS News - Interview for Online Article - 2022, "Deliveroo collapsed a week ago. What happens to all the data they have on you?" (https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/deliveroo-collapsed-a-week-ago-what-happens-to-all-the-data-they-have-on-you/2g2o2eajq)
Radio Adelaide - On Air Interview - 2022, "CyberScams are costing Australians Millions" (https://radioadelaide.org.au/audio-player/?title=On%20Demand&ondemand&type=audio%2Fm4a&src=https%3A%2F%2Fairnet.org.au%2Fomnystudio%2F5uv%2Fbreakfast-on-radio-adelaide%2F202211160630%2Faac_mid.m4a&time=6160)
Research Projects And Engagements
Blockchain Integrated Database for Optimizing Supply Chain Financing
Task: Develop a cutting-edge solution for enhancing supply chain financing through a Blockchain Integrated Database Fabric, addressing the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional SCF systems by leveraging blockchain technology.
Technology Used: The project harnesses a combination of blockchain technology, database management systems, and advanced programming environments. Truffle Suit was used to run a local blockchain environment for testing and PoC.
Description: The Blockchain Integrated Database Fabric (DBK Fabric) is a pioneering approach to supply chain financing that leverages the robustness of blockchain for enhanced transaction verification, performance efficiency, and cross-platform compatibility. This solution consists of three primary components:
Access Layer: Managed user access and authentication, establishing secure entry points to the system.
Blockchain Layer: Ensured transaction integrity, transparency, and security across the supply chain financing process.
Database Layer: Integrated blockchain transactions with traditional database management techniques for efficient data handling.
The incorporation of blockchain into SCF presented unique challenges, such as delays due to consensus mechanisms and complexities in user access control. The DBC Framework innovatively addressed these through:
Enhanced access control mechanisms for improved user management.
Cross-platform compatibility, facilitating seamless integration with existing systems.
Optimized processing speeds by leveraging blockchain technology more efficiently.
Advantages Realized: Implementing a blockchain-enabled SCF system brought forth significant benefits, including unmatched transparency, minimised transaction fees by direct cryptocurrency transactions, and bolstered security measures.
Insightful Case Study: The analysis of Greensill Capital's collapse underscored the acute need for the transparency and efficiency offered by the blockchain-enabled SCF model, highlighting its potential to prevent similar future occurrences.
The successful development and deployment of the Blockchain Integrated Database for Supply Chain Financing marked a pivotal advancement in the field, demonstrating a viable solution to longstanding challenges. By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, the project not only set a new benchmark for supply chain finance but also paved the way for broader adoption and future innovations in this domain.
2020-2021
Enhancing Blockchain Technology for Advanced Data Management
Task: Investigation and development of innovative approaches for digitalizing physical assets, optimizing on-chain and off-chain data storage, and processing to overcome inherent limitations of traditional blockchain structures.
Technology Used: This research utilises blockchain technology, distributed ledger technology tools, data indexing techniques, and security analysis software to develop and test new blockchain functionalities.
Description: As blockchain technology has grown in popularity and application scope, several limitations have come to light, necessitating innovative solutions in data storage, retrieval optimisation, and security. Our research has targeted these areas with the following approaches:
Search Optimization: Integrating identifying features within each block has streamlined the search process across blockchain databases, significantly reducing the time and resources required for data lookup. This advancement, tested on both new implementations and existing blockchains, demonstrates a promising performance boost for blockchain applications reliant on data retrieval.
Data Storage/Retrieval: Our exploration into blending blockchain with conventional cloud storage methods, alongside a unique approach mimicking the data storage and addressing mechanisms of physical storage devices, has opened up new avenues for managing large-scale data. This dual-path investigation aims to provide scalable, efficient solutions for blockchain-based data storage, drawing from the strengths of both digital and physical storage paradigms.
Data Security: Adapting the blockchain to accommodate raw data storage has necessitated an exhaustive threat analysis to ensure the modifications do not compromise security. The security framework proposed following this analysis aims to fortify the blockchain against potential vulnerabilities, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of stored data.
This project underscores a pivotal evolution in blockchain technology, addressing critical aspects of search optimisation, data storage/retrieval, and security. The outcomes of this research promise to significantly enhance the applicability and performance of blockchain systems, with the findings poised for dissemination in respected academic journals.
2019-2020
Secure-GLOR: Geo-Location Based Routing for Dynamic Mesh Networks
Task: Research, design, and development of an innovative network model for off-grid mesh networks as part of my PhD.
Technology Used: Utilized Visual Studio for development, alongside various network simulators for testing network protocols, security analysis tools for evaluating the network's security posture, and emulation tools to mimic real-world network conditions and validate the model's effectiveness.
Description: The objective was to overcome the inherent limitations of existing distributed mesh networks by creating an adaptive, secure network model. This model introduces a novel routing protocol and a comprehensive security framework, aiming to enhance network scalability, reliability, and security.
The routing protocol innovates with a geolocation-based addressing system and dynamic data transmission methods, employing 'smart packets' to navigate the mesh network efficiently. This system is supported by a web register that assists in network operation and scalability.
The security framework is tailored to the dynamic topology of mesh networks, ensuring robust security without overburdening the system. It encompasses:
Authentication: Adapts to network changes and constraints, utilising real-time data to authenticate devices securely.
Encryption: Combines symmetric and asymmetric encryption to protect data while optimising resource use.
Key Management: The Multi-Path Anonymous Randomized Key (MPARK) distribution scheme enhances security by minimising the risk of key compromise through the use of anonymity, randomness, and strategic decoys.
This research aimed to address critical challenges faced by distributed mesh networks, offering a scalable, secure solution that could revolutionise connectivity in off-grid scenarios. The advancements made through this project have the potential to significantly impact how distributed networks are implemented and secured, paving the way for more resilient and efficient communication systems in remote or infrastructure-challenged environments.
2015 - 2018
Race Track Management and Event Automation System
Task: Design and implementation of an integrated hardware and software system to automate tracking and management of car racing events for Incarnation Sports.
Technology Used: The solution integrates Arduino microcontrollers, custom circuit boards, and open-source technologies, creating a seamless operational framework.
Project Partner: Incarnation Sports.
Description: This project revolutionised the way racing events are managed by deploying an innovative system of interconnected devices throughout the race track. Utilising advanced proximity sensors, the system captures real-time data on each vehicle's position and performance. This information is then transmitted via a robust mesh network, ensuring timely and accurate data relay to a central processing unit. The system's ability to automate data collection and analysis not only enhances the accuracy of race outcomes but also significantly improves the overall efficiency of event management. By pioneering such a comprehensive solution, we were able to address the unique challenges faced in automating car racing events, marking a significant step forward in sports event technology.
2015
Advanced Hostel Management Portal for Amity University
Task: Creation of a comprehensive web-based portal to enhance administrative efficiency and student engagement within Amity University's hostel system.
Technology Used: Developed using Visual Studio and Drupal, supported by bespoke confidential proprietary software to ensure robust performance and security.
Project Partner: Amity University Gurgaon.
Description: Aimed at modernising the hostel management experience, this project introduced an intranet-based portal designed to streamline the complaint registration process, offering students a straightforward method to voice concerns with guaranteed follow-up times. Moreover, the portal serves as a central hub for distributing vital notices and facilitates efficient information exchange between students and administrative staff. By enhancing communication and administrative processes, the portal significantly improves the overall residential experience for students, underscoring our commitment to leveraging technology for community betterment.
2014
ZAUBER: Advanced Hand Gesture Recognition for Intuitive User Interfaces
Task: Development of a Hand Gesture Recognition System (ZAUBER) as part of my Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Degree Final Year Research Thesis at Amity University.
Technology Used: Leveraged the .NET framework for application development and OpenCV for computer vision and gesture recognition functionalities.
Description: ZAUBER is an innovative application designed to interpret and respond to various hand gestures through a system's onboard camera. The project aimed at creating a more intuitive and interactive way of interfacing with technology, reducing reliance on traditional input methods such as keyboards and mice. By employing machine learning techniques and a comprehensive database of gesture imagery—including both active recognition regions and varied background images—the application significantly improved gesture tracking accuracy. This enhancement allowed for real-time recognition of complex gestures, enabling the system to execute associated commands or operations seamlessly. The successful development of ZAUBER showcased the potential of integrating advanced computer vision and machine learning technologies to create more natural and user-friendly human-computer interaction experiences.
2014
GUI-Based Standardized Templates for Enhanced Online Data Entry
Task: Creation of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) Module featuring standardized templates for online form filling, designed for the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the auspices of the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
Technology Used: The project leveraged Visual Studio for development, Drupal as the content management framework, and specialized confidential proprietary software to ensure robust security and operational efficiency.
Description: This initiative focused on constructing GUI-based templates aligned with “Metadata and Data Standards- Demographic Version 1.1,” facilitating a seamless and dynamic user experience. These templates were engineered to bolster secure data entry through comprehensive validation and verification processes, without compromising on user accessibility. The integration of these standardised templates significantly streamlines the online submission process, enhancing data accuracy and security for various governmental digital services. This development marks a critical step forward in simplifying and securing online interactions between the government and the public.
2013
Secure Geographical Data Portal for National Informatics Centre
Task: Development of a comprehensive online portal and database segregation system for the National Informatics Centre (NIC), operating under the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
Technology Used: Employed Visual Studio for the software development, Drupal for content management, and specialized confidential proprietary software to ensure the system’s security and efficiency.
Description: This project entailed the creation of an advanced online portal aimed at providing secure access to a meticulously segregated database. This database hosts nearly a million records detailing the geographical information of various constituencies across India, making it a critical resource for government operations and public services. Accessible over the internet through www.egovstandards.gov.in, the portal serves as a key tool for data dissemination and retrieval, supporting transparency and efficiency in governmental processes. The successful deployment of this portal underscores the pivotal role of digital infrastructure in enhancing the accessibility and management of vital information.
2012
Next-Generation Secure Payroll Automation System for STC India
Task: Development of a Secure Payroll Generation System for The State Trading Corporation of India Limited (STC), a prestigious international trading entity operated by the Government of India.
Technology Used: Utilized Microsoft Access for database management and custom proprietary systems for enhanced security and data processing capabilities.
Description: Aimed at modernising and streamlining STC's payroll operations, this project focused on creating an automated payroll system. By transitioning from manual to automated processes, the system efficiently manages monthly tasks such as generating, updating, and editing employees' salary details and statutory reports. A key feature of the system is its ability to securely transfer payroll data to banks for processing, ensuring a remarkable 99.99% accuracy rate. Following its successful implementation, the system was adopted across STC's corporate office and over ten major branches nationwide, marking a significant advancement in the company's payroll management and operational efficiency. A modified version of the system is still being used to date.
2011
Area Of Research
Cyber Security (Computer Security)
Usable Security
Digital & Cyber Crime
Distributed Computing and Networking
Wireless Networks
Internet of Things (IoT)
Blockchain