Supporting user evaluation of IT security certification schemes

IT Security Certification is an increasingly important qualification for information technology (IT) professionals seeking employment in IT security. Yet currently there is a lack of rigorously developed approaches to support the evaluation and selection by key stakeholders of the most appropriate IT security certification scheme from among hundreds of vendor-neutral and vendor-specific schemes. This paper develops a framework based on categories, characteristics and criteria to support user evaluation and selection of an (IT) Security Certification scheme that satisfies user priorities and requirements. The paper illustrates the use of the framework to support an experienced IT Professional’s evaluation. Theoretical and practical implications of the framework and trial evaluation are discussed.

Adaptations architecturales du tissu osseux en réponse à l'exercice physique : intérêts et limites des méthodes non invasives utilisées chez l'homme

Aim
The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the imaging techniques that are currently used to study the effects of exercise on bone architecture.

Current knowledge
It is now widely accepted that the prevention of osteoporosis must be initiated in childhood, because the immature skeleton is more responsive to physical loading. Exercise recommendations for bone health promotion must consider the effects of loading not only on the more traditional measures of bone mineral content and macroarchitecture, but also on the microarchitecture and structural properties of the skeleton. The latter requires high precision 3D methods like quantitative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Prospects
Imaging resolutions used most commonly in exercise studies of children have sufficient precision to assess bone density and gross geometry. However, they remain insufficient to clearly depict and quantify the trabecular bone microarchitecture in vivo in humans.

Conceptualising a voluntary certification system for highly accomplished teachers

In this paper I argue that a voluntary certification system for highly accomplished teachers must be part of a coherent system of professional accountability which is developed, implemented and managed by the profession. This would be a system that engages professional judgement of evidence provided by teachers in relation to their professional knowledge and practice, and professional standards for teaching would provide the organising framework for that judgment. It would be a system incorporating and aligning all forms of professional licensure, including entry into the profession and subsequent professional milestones. It would be a system that all partners in the profession across Australia—employers, professional associations, and registration authorities—endorse, participate in and align with.

The profession can take the lead in developing and implementing such a coherent and coordinated national approach by carefully developing a system to recognise and reward highly accomplished teaching. Such a system should aim to recognise and build teacher quality by defining what it is highly accomplished teachers know and are able to do. Moreover, such a system must fi nd ways of making teaching public and acknowledging teaching as intellectual work which involves professional judgment that draws on a recognised professional knowledge base and contextualised knowledge about students and their learning.

The paper is presented in two main sections. First, a proposed conceptual framework for the professional recognition and certification of highly accomplished teachers is outlined. Then, the argument for this proposed conceptual framework is presented drawing on learnings from relevant research and professional activity in both Australia and the USA.

A framework for assessing certification schemes for IT security professionals

This research develops a framework which allows the many IT security certifications to be compared by stakeholders, such as IT security professionals, employers, universities and governments. The framework employs a novel approach which allow users to tailor the comparison based on their own weightings, whilst taking advantage of standardised research.

Toward sustainable forest management : the potential contribution of timber certification and product labelling in Victoria

Sustainable forest management has emerged as a major international forestry issue. This research assessed the potential contribution of certification and labelling to sustainable forest management in Victoria. The results indicate a potential demand for certified forest products and a consumer willingness to pay to ensure forests are managed sustainably.

Incorporating carbon footprints into seafood sustainability certification and eco-labels

The seafood industry has become increasingly interconnected at a global scale, with fish the most traded commodity worldwide. Travel to the farthest reaches of the oceans for capture is now common practice, and subsequent transport to market can require hundreds to thousands of miles of travel by sea and air. Refrigeration of seafood products is generally required at all stages of the journey from ocean to dinner plate, resulting in substantial energy expenditure. Energy input for aquaculture (including mariculture) products can also be high, namely due to the large amounts of feed required to support fish growth. As a result of these factors, the seafood industry has a substantial carbon footprint. Surprisingly, however, carbon footprints of seafood products are rarely integrated into assessments of their sustainability by eco-labels, sustainability certification, or consumer seafood sustainability guides. Suggestions are provided here for how carbon footprints could be incorporated within seafood sustainability schemes.