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Aspects on Availability. A Teleological Adventure of Information in the Lifeworld

Rauno Kuusisto

Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to be presented with due permission of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering for public examination and debate in Auditorium T1 at Helsinki University of Technology (Espoo, Finland) on the 17th of December, 2004, at 12 o'clock noon.

Overview in PDF format (ISBN 951-22-7463-9)   [1222 KB]
Dissertation is also available in print (ISBN 951-25-1553-9)

Abstract

Availability is a feature of information. Availability is frequently connected to information security. So it is now. But in this thesis, the viewpoint is slightly different form the usually understood context of information security. Here, availability is dealt with as a compulsory feature of the information, which is essential to make as optimal decisions as possible for making the future. Security is understood as a state, which will be reached by using information that is available. The approach to security in this thesis is broadly understood as "making security with available information".

The overall frame of this thesis is based on European philosophy represented by Henri Bergson, Martin Heidegger, Karl Popper, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jurgen Habermas. The philosophical approach is chosen to be able to deal with the rather broad and abstract wholeness of the overall problem. The philosophical approach is something new for the researcher, as well, thus offering new challenges and an opportunity to learn something new and broaden the worldview. The philosophical background is supplemented with theories about time, information and knowledge management and problem solving to reach more practical solutions. Finally, a representative entity of the information availability environment is analysed to validate the philosophical-theoretical construction.

The hypothesis of this thesis is formulated around the theories of time, information and problem solving concluded with the description of social systems conducted in the theory of communicative act by Jurgen Habermas. Research questions will deal with the combination of time and information to reach understanding to construct a model, which is used to solve information availability issues in temporally demanding decision-making environment.

This thesis is hermeneutical, reaching towards understanding those phenomena that concern information availability. Features of availability that are dealt with are connected to information itself and the purpose of using information, the refining process of information in a purposeful action, and time from few viewpoints. All this is connected in a context of a social system. On the basis of all this, a suitably abstracted model is constructed to understand how information can be used and what kind of aspects availability contains.

On the basis of that, a complex entity of information availability in a temporally demanding decision-making environment is analysed. This entity contains the temporal and meaningful divergence of information. This system is solved on the basis of the theoretical frame. A new kind of solution to model the use of available information in a temporally demanding decision-making environment is constructed. Finally a number of new research questions will emerge, which is well suited to the science philosophical frame that is selected to be obeyed in this thesis.

This thesis consists of an overview and of the following 10 publications:

  1. Kuusisto, R., 2002. Soft systems methodology as a tool in studying the performance of leading. Proceedings of the 2002 IEEE International Engineering Management Conference (IEMC 2002). St. John's College, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 18-20 August 2002, pages 368-371. ISBN 0-7803-7385-5.
  2. Kuusisto, R. and Helokunnas, T., 2003. Experiencing time in leading systems. Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE International Engineering Management Conference (IEMC 2003). Albany, New York, USA, 2-4 November 2003, pages 415-419. ISBN 0-7803-8150-5.
  3. Kuusisto, R., Helokunnas, T. and Ahvenainen, S., 2003. Intellectual capital and time in information superiority. Hutchinson, B. (editor), Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Information Warfare and Security (ECIW 2003). University of Reading, United Kingdom, 30 June - 1 July, 2003, pages 201-208. ISBN 0-9544577-0-6. © 2003 by authors.
  4. Kuusisto, R. and Helokunnas, T., 2003. Time in information operations. Slay, J. (editor), Proceedings of the 4th Australian Information Warfare and Security Conference. University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, 20-21 November 2003, pages 203-210. ISBN 086803995. © 2003 by authors.
  5. Helokunnas, T. and Kuusisto, R., 2003. Strengthening leading situations via time-divergent communication conducted in ba. Van Beveren, J. (editor), The E-Business Review. The International Academy of E-Business, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA, volume III, pages 78-81. ISBN 0-970-7955-2-1.
  6. Helokunnas, T. and Kuusisto, R., 2003. Information security culture in a value net. Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE International Engineering Management Conference (IEMC 2003). Albany, New York, USA, 2-4 November 2003, pages 190-194. ISBN 0-7803-8150-5.
  7. Kuusisto, R., Nyberg, K. and Virtanen, T., 2004. Unite security culture. May a unified security culture be plausible? Jones, A. (editor), Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Information Warfare and Security (ECIW 2004). Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom, 28-29 June 2004, pages 221-229. ISBN 0-9547096-2-4. © 2004 by authors.
  8. Kuusisto, R., 2002. Reaping strategic benefit by understanding innovational information flows in the organisation. Tretyakov, S. and Säily, J. (editors), Digest of Technical Papers of URSI/IEEE XXVII Convention on Radio Science. Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland, 17-18 October 2002. Helsinki University of Technology Radio Laboratory publications, Report S 257, pages 68-70. ISBN 951-22-6170-7. © 2002 by author.
  9. Kuusisto, R., Huhtakallio, J. and Kuusisto, T., 2004. Situation officer as a decisive enabler. Theoretical framework to analyse information flows and action. Jones, A. (editor), Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Information Warfare and Security (ECIW 2004). Royal Holloway University of London, United Kingdom, 28-29 June 2004, pages 211-220. ISBN 0-9547096-2-4. © 2004 by authors.
  10. Kuusisto, R., Kuusisto, T. and Huhtakallio, J., 2004. Situation officers in the centre of gravity of information flows. Proceedings of the 5th Australian Information Warfare and Security Conference. Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, 25-26 November 2004, pages 117-124. ISBN 0-7298-0569-7. © 2004 by authors.

Keywords: making security, availability, time, information, social system, decision-making

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© 2004 Helsinki University of Technology

Last update 2011-05-26