Yassine Sadqi

1. In today’s digital era, protecting information and ensuring online security have become critical. Cybersecurity involves implementing strategies and practices to defend computer systems and netw...

With the proliferation of online services and applications, adopting Single Sign-On (SSO) mechanisms has become increasingly prevalent. SSO enables users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple services, eliminating the need to provide their credentials repeatedly. However, this convenience raises concerns about user security and privacy. The increasing reliance on SSO and its potential risks make it imperative to comprehensively review the various SSO security and privacy threats, identify gaps in existing systems, and explore effective mitigation solutions. This need motivated the first systematic literature review (SLR) of SSO security and privacy, conducted in this paper. The SLR is performed based on rigorous structured research methodology with specific inclusion/exclusion criteria and focuses specifically on the Web environment. Furthermore, it encompasses a meticulous examination and thematic synthesis of 88 relevant publications selected out of 2315 journal articles and conference/proceeding papers published between 2017 and 2024 from reputable academic databases. The SLR highlights critical security and privacy threats relating to SSO systems, reveals significant gaps in existing countermeasures, and emphasizes the need for more comprehensive protection mechanisms. The findings of this SLR will serve as an invaluable resource for scientists and developers interested in enhancing the security and privacy preservation of SSO and designing more efficient and robust SSO systems, thus contributing to the development of the authentication technologies field.

In the evolving realm of online social networks (OSNs), assessing cybersecurity risks and implementing effective countermeasures are crucial for practitioners. This chapter confronts this challenge, beginning with an extensive literature review that explores the range of threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks prevalent in OSNs. It differentiates between general cybersecurity risks and those unique to OSNs, with a special focus on user-side vulnerabilities. The chapter critically analyzes risk assessment and security assessment, highlighting their distinct yet interconnected roles in cybersecurity. Various risk assessment methods are evaluated for their applicability to OSNs, alongside a discussion of both technical and non-technical countermeasures for risk mitigation. Concluding with key findings and future research directions, this chapter offers a comprehensive guide for understanding and tackling the complex cybersecurity challenges in online social networks. Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

Online social networks (OSNs) are platforms on the web that have seen significant growth. They allow people to connect, interact, and share information with others over the internet. These platforms have become an essential part of people's daily lives, serving as the primary means of communication for individuals worldwide. However, despite the significant benefits these platforms offer, they face privacy concerns such as identity theft and misuse of users' sensitive information. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive review of the various privacy weaknesses in OSNs, along with an exploration of the existing mechanisms and techniques used to safeguard users' data within this dynamic environment. The review is based on the rigorous Kitchenham protocol and performs a comprehensive assessment of 26 journal articles, published in the last five years. This study serves as a valuable resource for researchers and developers seeking to enhance the privacy preservation of OSNs.

Social engineering (SE) attacks are a growing concern for organizations that rely on technology to protect sensitive data. Identifying and preventing these attacks can be challenging, as they frequently rely on manipulating human behavior rather than exploiting technical vulnerabilities. Although various studies have explored SE attacks and their defense mechanisms, there remains a gap in the literature concerning the holistic and layered classification of these threats and countermeasures. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive literature survey to understand existing taxonomies and subsequently identified areas that required a more structured and exhaustive categorization. Based on the survey results, we propose a comprehensive taxonomy of SE attacks, classifying them based on three levels: environment, approaches, and mediums. Additionally, we present a taxonomy of social engineering countermeasures, encompassing both technical and non-technical solutions. The proposed taxonomies serve as a foundation for future research and offer organizations a valuable framework for developing effective strategies to detect, prevent, and respond to social engineering incidents.