Zlatogor Minchev

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences | BAS · Institute of Information and Communication Technologies

Joining technologies & people in future smart cities infrastructure by merging sensors, effectors and intelligence is going to create a rather challenging mixed reality transformation. In this sense, the competition between natural and artificial intelligence is inevitably establishing quite new and interesting society overlaying of humans and tech...

Three relevant types of suboptimal binary search trees are comparatively evaluated in this paper: two well-known representatives of height-balanced approaches (the AVL and red-black trees) and a popular self-adjusting splay tree. After a brief theoretical background, an evaluation method was described that employs a suitable synthetic workload meth...

This research deals certain with issues regarding downloading data from the Internet, i.e., Internet page advertising, and certain mechanisms to take care of the integrity of the data that is put into the dedicated processing context afterwards. The work also relates to e-commerce, as some advertising scenarios provide high error rates with pricing...

Understanding the new digital world naturally requires a suitable approach for proactive identification of future cyber threats in the new mixed reality of people, technologies and biotope symbiotic joining. The paper outlines a methodology for joint exploration of cyber threats, using both expert and machine intellect. Further, a combined assessme...

The publication demonstrates results from a complex three-year study, aiming the digital future towards year 2037. The book is including studies from five countries (USA, Israel, Romania, Jordan, Bulgaria), focusing on multiple future aspects (social, technological, mixed) of digital transformation of modern society and security, influenced by both...

The chapter considers future foresees of electronic propaganda and digital media transformation challenges with public opinion evolution dynamics. Special accent is given to the analytical perspective of the problem, combining both morphological scenario landscape establishment with system-of-system joint analysis. Results mixed assessment from hum...

Understanding the modern digital world present and future evolution definitely requires an adequate transformational outlook to the Artificial Intelligence (AI). Whilst nowadays still the singularity idea of humans and machines is a bit far away, the process of AI generalization is irrevocably progressing, challenging the security environment. The...

Over the past decade, storage technologies have evolved many times over. The existence of a global market economy involving the continuous migration of data flows has created many branches of data processing and operation systems. These events marked the beginning of the Model Core-a system for decentralized storage and processing of files and data...

The comprehensive understanding of the mixed cyber-physical world requires a suitable exploration paradigm that is able to handle both tangible and intangible assets of the new extended digital reality. Talking about the future inevitably opens the hybrid human-machine combination of knowledge, experience and simulated experiments towards a combine...

Proper understanding the security landscape future evolution requires an adequate social & technological aspects smart combination and handling. The process is incorporating at the same time, phenomena like: AI pervasion & autonomization, IoTs heterogeneous miniaturization and fusion, both embedded & ubiquitous connecting all in new hyper realities...

The paper outlines a comprehensive model, concerning socio-technological disruptive effects to shifted cyber diplomacy due to multilateral mixed transformation and system effectiveness evolution towards the year 2033. The approach aims towards a proactive understanding of a comprehensive digital future, combining expert and reference data with mach...

Considerable scientific effort in the field of natural language processing has recently been dedicated to the broad research question ofautomatic extraction of COVID-19 related information from available textual sources. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the research results in the field, and make a “diagnosis” that the natural language...

FOREWORD The First International Scientific, “Covid-19 and Challenges of the Business World”, is held in organization Alfa BK University, Faculty of Finance, Banking and Audit in cooperation with Institute for Economy and Finance, on 25th of March 2021. Given the current epidemiological situation, the conference was being held in virtual, through...

The chapter provides an outlook to contemporary innovative methods for detecting internal threats to the information security of critical infrastructure objects, mitigating these threats, as well as preventing the leakage of sensitive information. Internal threats are unpredictable and pose a major challenge to traditional IT security measures. A s...

Digital transformation fostered by pandemic as nowadays catalyst of change is inevitably adding technological innovations to all dimensions of our lifestyle, ranging from work to entertainment and especially education. Apart of this, the people cognitive capabilities are constantly being challenged by the informational dynamics overload of the over...

Today the dynamics of the digital space and society transformation due to multiple internal & external drivers create a number of prerequisites for cybercrimes, facing the modern security. The article presents a machine learning ransomware behavioral-based detection concept with a practical hybrid model implementation approach, using residual neura...

The article presents a study framework for mixed human-machine future analysis and an assessment of the plausible effects of the digital transformation towards the year 2030 in the Balkans region. An experimental framework for foresight analytical exploration of key driving factors, ambiguities, transcedents* and perspectives towards the near futur...

Understanding the digital society transformation is a rather fascinated challenge, especially for the future. This naturally, provokes numerous tangible and intangible assets that have to be properly handled in order to catch the right social dynamic trends direction. This however is also requiring an agile & holistic study approach towards a resil...

This analysis provides a brief overview of the ten live techno-social risks and threats associated with COVID-19 for 2020. Practical security measures are also presented. Literature data, industrial experience and research expertise gathered from “Secure Digital Future 21” initiative with some recent activities of the European Network of Cyber Secu...

The article sketches an exploration foresight framework towards the digital transformation future transcedents and the gaps in the socio-technological identification outlook. A combination of both experts/crowd sourcing data with plausible scenario matrix representation, system modelling and mixed cyberphysical reality training simulation for progn...

The main objective of the paper is to present model-driven approach to development of Information Security System. We use data centric models, in which the main focus is on the data and we define a conceptual model of Information Security System architecture using the main information security concepts. Its construction is based on the domain analy...

Proper design and development of future smart cities infrastructure requires a suitable multistage dynamic risks & utilities modelling and analysis. The presented approach provides a comprehensive outlook towards the security challenges, related to both citizens' necessities and smart infrastructure progress. Thus, it is also important to note the...

The book is aiming to explore current challenges, adversaries and opportunities for the digital transformation, noting digilience necessity for the future digital society. As far as the scope of any book is not able to cover the complete set of adversaries, challenges and opportunities to the digital transformation and digilience successful accompl...

The upcoming digital Society 5.0 is expected to give a more creative role to the new digitally (i-) transformed people that is naturally requiring and a suitable way for their successful training. The main idea is to implement an extended reality in the new educational process, combining: mixed, virtual and augmented realities, within a holistic in...

The chapter describes the problem of building cyber threats resilience for the human factor as the technological growth is constantly changing the security landscape of the new digital world. A methodological framework for meeting the problem by using the “scenario method” and experts' support is outlined. An implementation of comprehensive morphol...

Modern world is constantly evolving due to the new transcending digital reality influence, encompassing both human and technologies into a generically new intelligent and autonomous transhuman society. The future civilization digital unfolding is expected to give lifelike characteristics to machines that will also create multiple uncertainties and...

Like any personal information, biometric templates can be intercepted, stolen, replayed or altered. Due to non-revocability of biometric data aforementioned attacks and may lead to identity theft. Having that said, it becomes clear that biometric systems operate with sensitive personal information and that biometric template security and privacy ar...

Modern data protection combines multilevel measures and compliances, implementing different regulations, standards and policies that become vital in the new digital world. The paper outlines component-based architecture framework for ISS of virtual organization and the data protection components, covering multiple data sources, states and roles. Ot...

A number of vague terms and uncertainties could be found in the recent data protection legislation, concerning the field of data breaches. Specific interest are opening the issues of qualitative and quantitative understandings of terms like: 'risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons', 'criteria for data security', 'appropriate technical a...

The future digital Society 5.0 transformation, targeting a new smart cyber-physical reality establishment with embodied IoTs, will give a more creative and innovative role, senses, knowledge & skills for the humans and intelligent technologies (real robots & softbot services with relevant AI, aiming singularity) in the new mixed hyperreality. The p...

The chapter outlines a methodological address towards proactive analysis of emerging digital society hybrid threats and challenges of phenomena, like: cyber terrorism, criminal activities in cyber space, social engineering and other negative socio-technological tendencies. The solution is trying to generalize CIRACRESEE ATC participants' inputs, bo...

No single nation, culture or religion can achieve peace and security at home while ignoring the terrorist threats posed to others globally. This book presents lectures and a keynote speech delivered as part of the NATO Advanced Training Course (ATC) Countering ISIS Radicalisation in the Region of South-East Europe (CIRACRESEE), held in Ohrid, Repu...

Todays' transcending digital world is inevitably changing our understandings for living, working, communicating, entertaining and learning. The modern educational process requires some key points to be noted in this context for approaching successful and effective implementation. Namely-disruptive smart innovations, active learning and trainees' ac...

In this paper, we present the data protection as one of the major components of every Information Security System (ISS). For this purpose, we outline the component-based architecture of ISS, the functions of its various components and the connections between them, as well as the different technologies, techniques and tools used in the ISS component...

The present and future dynamic transformation of digital reality is inevitably establishing a heterogeneous ecosystem of smart gadgets, communication environment and software solutions for meeting modern human factor necessities. The rather rich data context, resulting from this innovative mixture, is practically transcending technological services...

The objective of the present study is to outline a conceptual reference model for defining meta architecture of information security system, implementing key holistic system principles of synergy, interconnectivity and object-, agent-oriented modelling approaches, keeping at the same time opportunities for: reusability, interoperability, easy deplo...

This paper presents an approach to securing mobile banking biometric authentication. The proposed system is based on secure client-server conventional XOR biometrics, which stores, transmits and verifies templates in encrypted form. Encryption keys are stored on bank's authentication servers, thus protecting the user twofold: if the phone gets stol...

The broad surveillance potential of automatic speech recognition has been recognized across a range of application domains. Although considerable research effort has been devoted to the research question of achieving robust large-vocabulary continuous-speech recognition, it is still a fragile technology. In this paper, we discuss a methodological d...

This paper explores a model of overall telecommunication systems, including users, terminals, and a network with Quality of Service (QoS) guaranties. Apart from GSM, BSDN and others, generalized virtual networks (VNET) with overall QoS guaranties have been considered also. In our approach, the network traffic, terminal traffic for A (calling) and B...

Todays' digital world is inevitably changing our style and ecosystem of living, transforming human factor understandings, feelings and behaviour. These findings however are difficult to be identified for both tangible and intangible challenges that needs a suitable analytical approach. The paper outlines a practical framework for modern ICT technol...

Modern gadgets or IoTs miniaturization and embodiment into new technological users are inevitably producing numerous opportunities and disruptive threats towards digital transformation of their lifestyle, behaviour and understandings. The paper outlines a snapshot of user beliefs implemented in an analytical system model. The obtained results, matc...

An ad hoc study approach on securing transformed reality is presented as an innovative field of research in the digital era. Initially, a multiple attack scenarios are defined via hybrid threats landscape matrix establishment, using expert beliefs and structural analysis. Results are further explored, using complex discrete systems modelling and ho...

Progressive digital world is evolutionary encompassing new web connected devices and services towards multiple activities of people. In this sense, mobile technologies smart progress and the 'Internet-Of-Things' – 'IoT' phenomenon with fast miniaturization are expected to significantly influence our quality and style of life in the near future. The...

The chapter considers three key steps for future cyber attacks studying: (i) establishment of cyber risks landscape, implementing both intrusions and attack vectors due to expert, and literature data; (ii) supportive models for multiple intrusions risk reassessment towards expected attack vectors; (iii) experimental application of (i) & (ii) result...

The security environment nowadays is producing quite a lot of uncertainties and threats as a result of emerging cyber-physical hybrid clashes phenomena. Adequate exploration of this has to be taken into consideration jointly with future technological progress, combining both social & technological assets. A successful approach for handling the prob...

Digital environment progress towards real and virtual realities mixing is reasonably producing new understandings for ICT progress expectations. In todays' mobile web world, augmented realities are practically integrating 'Internet of Things' (IoT) mobile concept and 3D visualization technologies into a new evolving smart world. This changes our ev...

Modern web technologies have already become an indispensable part of our everyday life, shaping a new, overlaid tech-social reality. This however generates numerous cyber opportunities & threats, produced as a result of the evolving human-machine and machine-to-machine interactions. The paper outlines a comprehensive, practical solution for meeting...

The paper looks into the issue of proactive advanced persistent threats (APTs) identification in modern social networks. As these threats are quite unnoticeable and require a long-term, comprehensive monitoring of both technologies and users, a hybrid methodological framework is proposed. A combination of: experts’ knowledge and beliefs, system ana...

Innovative digital world dynamics is enabling numerous threats towards modern security environment. These new demands are presently evolving in a mixed cyber-physical reality, encompassing both information space and objective reality. The paper presents model-oriented exploration methodology of the future security threats and challenges facets. A p...

The paper considers an applied methodological framework for new hybrid threats identification in modern cyber space. Following todays’ web technologies progress, accent is given towards social engineering problem. Validation with human-in-the-loop for selected psychophysiological aspects, situations and experimental interactive simulation is especi...

The paper is outlining an experimentally created framework for multiple human biometrics fusion in support to constantly evolving complex cyberthreats landscape identification. A "scenario method" approach, in combination with experts' based decision support and users' biometric "validation-in-advance", are considered. Practical examples are also g...

The chapter describes the problem of building cyber threats resilience for the human factor as the technological growth is constantly changing the security landscape of the new digital world. A methodological framework for meeting the problem by using the “scenario method” and experts' support is outlined. An implementation of comprehensive morphol...

The paper looks into the issue of proactive advanced persistent threats (APTs) identification in modern social networks. As these threats are quite unnoticeable and require a long-term, comprehensive monitoring of both technologies and users, a hybrid methodological framework is proposed. A combination of: experts’ knowledge and beliefs, system ana...

The present book reflects contributions (articles and presentations) to the UNESCO International Workshop QED: Quality of Education and Challenges in a Digitally Networked World, held in Sofia from October 30-31, 2014. The QED workshop was organised by the State University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (SULSIT), Sofia, Bulgaria, i...

Todays' world is constantly evolving towards improving human-environment interaction and thus achieving a better quality of life in the digital age. Apart of this, the proper understanding and perspectives for progressive development of this idea is discoverable in multiple current and future problem areas. The paper outlines a methodological appro...

The paper outlines a modelling approach for assessing future cyberthreats, resulting from implementation of multiple IoT devices in future smart home environment. A combination of experts' beliefs, users' questionnaire based surveys results and literature data for multiple smart homes inhabitants' necessities and potential cyber threats hackers' ac...

The chapter is briefly presenting three key moments: (i) selection of suitable formalism for fast and easy cyber intelligence problems modelling, implementing both experts’ data and cyber incidents statistics on past and future cyberattacks trends; (ii) model quantification for achieving a suitable machine interpretation, allowing further discrete...

Nowadays the world is facing a new security challenge - the hybrid threats and war. Whilst this idea could be addressed as an extension of the Alliance Comprehensive Approach, the combination of conventional and nonconventional methods towards modern warfare is already a fact. The key idea behind is the hybrid nature of the modern conflicts, feedin...

The development of new technologies – RFID, sensor networks in addition to the wider availability and falling prices of microprocessors, controllers and communication created a new digital revolution – Internet of Things (IoT). This phenomenon allows not only the digitalization and control of information (mass usage of PC and Internet) but also thi...

Today, the new digital world is opening a number of possibilities for training, providing at the same time both – effectiveness and flexibility. An innovative accent to note in this context is the implementation of avatars in the process of human – machine training interaction. This new approach could significantly increase the trainees' feelings o...

Today, technological progress is opening vast perspectives for modern digital solutions and evolution of services. This, however, is closely related to some resulting cyber threats challenges, emerging from users' understandings and interactions with technologies. The paper is outlining some users' beliefs for future smart homes realities automatio...

The paper outlines the problem of multimedia contents influence to regular modern social networks users. An ad hoc methodological approach is utilized using preliminary questionnaires based surveys, experts' considerations, structural and system analysis. The obtained results are further validated via users' focus group biometric response monitorin...

A discrete model of e-government (e-gov) services, encompassing: n different components – state bodies (e.g. ministries, agencies etc., engaged after the legal basis regulations), working during m time intervals are used. One of the key measures that assure the model reliable work is the prevention from cyber attacks that will block the available e...

The influence of multimedia on modern digital users is constantly growing. The paper describes an experimental study of audiovisual (AV) entrainment towards dynamical changes of selected human biometrics. Special wearable equipment of AV stimulation and polyphysio-graphic postural and brain activities recordings were accomplished for entrainment ef...

The paper is considering some of the emerging trends in cyber threats identification implementing an ad-hoc practical methodological framework. An accent on the social networks problems progressing severity in the evolving smart environment of communication and living is given. The framework is encompassing the national academic experience in the a...

The paper briefly describes cyber threats identification framework in a smart home test bed environment. A problem space is initially built, through a q-based survey of potential cyber threats sources. Further on, an expert based reference with morphological and system modelling and analysis of this space is performed via a specialized software env...

In today’s world modern 3D visualization screens are already entering the entertainment world of future smart homes together with the social networks popular games. The paper describes and experimental study of volunteers’ focus group spontaneous EEG dynamic changes related to 2D/3D screen modes stimuli during short-time gaming activities. A quanti...

KCM SA is part of the holding structure of KCM 2000 group, Plovdiv. The company is a leading producer of non-ferrous and precious metals in Southeast Europe and the Black Sea Region, working actively for the environmental recognition of metals as efficient market products. KCM’s annual production capacity of lead is 65 000 t., and of zinc – 80 000...

The SysSec Network of Excellence produced this “Red Book of Cybersecurity” to serve as a roadmap in the area of systems security. The results of the book we hope also to be used as an advisory document for policy makers and researchers who would like to have an impact on the security of the future Internet. The present version is a resume of the or...

The emerging social networks like Facebook and Twitter with their huge popularity produce a strong impact to our life. The study of human emotions by means of bioelectrical signals and psychometrics has a long history, but the data for an influence of Web-based social networks is still scarce and specific methods are lacking. We tried to assemble a...

In this paper a generalized net model of a polyfunctional generator is represented. The generator is built with digital and analog schemes and contains a negatron as a discharging element in the clock-pulse generator. Each of the elements of the generator is described in generalized net terminology and at the end of the issue is depicted the whole...

Scenario development for Computer Assisted eXercises (CAX) is a very ambitious area in the Crisis management field. Generally, the reason for this is that CAX allows real world crises and objects translation in the more flexible digital world. The greatest challenge here is the consideration of terrorist attacks representation, modelling and simula...

The paper describes an approach for analysis of a distributed system's components influence to its security as a whole. The approach is illustrated on a Grid structure base. A generic model of the Grid Middleware gLite technology and threats analysis obtained as a result of Entity-Relationship complex system machine interpretation in I-SCIP v 2.1 s...

In most of the scientific publications the data on gender related EEG differences is connected to exploration of disease or abuse-related changes and so takes the gender only as a cofactor. Although no one argues the fact, that gender is one of the greatest factors, influencing EEG results, there is a small number of papers discussing predominantly...

This paper presents the authors’ understanding of the problem of energy security in South East Europe (SEE) and the Wider Black Sea Area (WBSA) as a result of the region’s geo-strategy; the development of the relevant capabilities in Bulgarian academic community linked with administration, industry, and non12 governmental organizations in the area...

The Comprehensive Approach to security, including military support to civilian authorities in stabilization and reconstruction operations, is central for the improvement of defense and force planning. More and more the foresight activities support to planning are based on generation and analysis of scenarios (authors have been participated in recen...

Exploration of unknown environment in general is a very broad area, which in the current paper is addressed more to the agent based idea and robotics. As far as the agent and its further development - multiagent modus resembles real social systems the interaction between agents could benefit from the natural mechanisms like immune system. The paper...

The application of serious gaming technology in different areas of human knowledge for learning is raising the question of quantitative measurement of the training process quality. In the present paper a pilot study of 10 healthy volunteers' EEG spectra is performed for ad hoc selected game events ('win' and 'lose') via continuous wavelet transform...

The aim of this work is to investigate the change of fractal dimension Df with the help of Higuchi Fractal Dimension measure (HFD) in Event-Related Potentials (ERP) of human EEG time series, obtained as a result of oddball paradigm usage and auditory stimulation with instruction for passive listening and counting tasks, depending on gender, persona...

The aim of this work is to show how Wavelet and S-transform Power Spectrum Analysis could be used for detection of the time-frequency spectral differences in series of Event-Related Potentials recorded from neurotic and stable persons. We compared the EEG records in simple counting task condition of 30 healthy subjects divided in stable and neuroti...

Navigation in unknown environments is a hot topic for virtual and real mobile agents' (robots) application in exploration of hazardous places on the Earth or other planets investigation in the space where the utilization of GPS systems or high-resolution geographical maps is not available. The paper will give a concept for uncertainty treating in a...

We test the possible multifractal properties of dominant EEG frequency components, when a subject tracks a path on a map, either only by eyes (imaginary movement – IM) or by visual-motor tracking of discretely moving spot in regular (RM) and Brownian time-step (BM) (real tracking of moving spot). We check the hypotheses that the fractal properties...

The paper considers a general model of real biological creatures' antennae, which is practically implemented and tested, over a real element of a mobile modular robotic system - the robot MR1. The last could be utilized in solving of the most classical problem in Robotics - Object Localization. The functionality of the represented sensor system is...

Статията разглежда програмната структура на система за Компютърно Подпомагани Учения (КПУ), която е предмет на разработка в съвместни проекти на БАН и Научния комитет на НАТО (SfP 981149) и ЕС#7 на НКС към ПКЗНБАК и във взаимодействие с ДА Гражданска Защита. Тя може да се използва при провеждането на компютърни упражнения за реагиране при критични...

Modular Robotic Systems (MRSs) are entities, composed of units, that can be reconfigured independently for group (swarm), solving different tasks. These robots have many potential applications in hazardous and unknown environments like exploration of other planets in the universe. Such systems have to be able to deal with dynamic changes in the env...

Modular robots are new and rather interesting sphere of robotics. These robots could be very useful in every day life because of their different and multifunctional applications. The likelihood of Generalized Nets (GNs) is ascertained at the present paper because GNs have proved to be very useful in description, modeling and training of different e...

The coordination of intelligent behavior among the swarm of autonomous agents and the contrivance of interrelations between the collections are the sine qua non of the multiagent systems (MAS). The metamorphic robotic systems are a new and rather perspective sphere of robotics because of the different and useful applications. These self-reconfiguri...

The metamorphic robots are a new sphere of robotics that belongs to the Distributed Artificial Intelligence realm. These robots can dynamically adapt their shape and have many useful applications in hostile enviroments on the Earth or on other planets in the space. The metamorphic robot, considered in the paper is described as a multiagent system i...