Comprehensive Capstone Project on Metadata Integration, MN692

This capstone project delves into the intricacies of metadata integration, exploring its importance, components, benefits, and security aspects. The project encompasses a comprehensive analysis of data and metadata, differentiating between the two and discussing their applications, particularly in computing and digital forensics. It examines various research methods, including qualitative analysis, interviews, surveys, and direct observations to gather reliable information on network security, potential attacks, and countermeasures. The project covers data types (qualitative and quantitative), metadata standards, security threats, and the significance of computer and network security. It includes discussions on malware attacks and the importance of data integrity and retention, offering valuable insights into the field of data science and information security. The project aims to identify network attacks, conduct penetration testing, and propose measures to improve network security and safeguard sensitive data.

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Capstone project on Metadata
Student Name
Course Title
Date
Capstone project on metadata integration.
Table of Contents
1.0 ABSRACT........................................................................................................ 2
2.0 PROJECT DESIGN............................................................................................ 2
3.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................. 3
4.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES...................................................................................4
5.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION.........................................................................5
6.0 RESEARCH METHODS..................................................................................... 6
7.0 DISCUSSION AND THEORY.............................................................................7
8.0 TESTING AND TROUBLESHOOTING..............................................................10
9.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION..........................................................................16
10.0 COMPERATIVE ANALYSIS..............................................................................18
12.0 CONCLUSION............................................................................................... 19
1.0 ABSRACT.
This research paper has prepared and presented a report about metadata
integration. In details, the paper has discussed the importance of metadata,

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components, benefits, and metadata sharing and metadata security. For a long
time, the concept of data and metadata has remained a big deal for some people.
This is because, many people across the globe are not exposed to the right
information about data and metadata. This paper therefore presents most
important information about data and metadata that will equip anybody with the
right concept and approach about data and metadata. The details of this paper
were presented after a research that was conducted through proven and trustable
methods of data collection and analysis.
2.0 PROJECT DESIGN.
Table 1 group members and their roles
Group members. Role played
1.
2.
3.
Table 2 weekly plan
Day of the week. Activity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
3.0 INTRODUCTION.
A computer was designed to simplify and make work easier for man. A computer is
an integration of many components which work in unison to get work done. One of
the most important components of a computer is data. Data is defined as a

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characteristic of information. Generally, data is ant processed information.
Information can be processed for various reasons, but the ultimate purpose of
processing data is making it understandable for by machine or human beings. Data
can take various forms depending on the purpose for which the data is intended for.
Therefore, information describes data. Data can vary in size and capacity [1].
Sometimes the data is so large that it needs to be described. It is not only the large
data sets that needs to be described. Usually, in order to understand something,
you need to have a good description about it. What then describes data?
Meta is a prefix that is meant to provide information about something. Therefore,
metadata provides more information about data. Metadata is information that helps
capture organize and maintain data.it helps address various aspects of data. It
helps answer the questions what, when, why, who, where, how an which. Basically,
this provides all the information that one needs about data. Metadata has a lot of
application across the globe. For instance, let us look at the life of a digital forensic
scientist. They dedicate their career to find hidden information about something.
How could their work be easier without metadata? How else would they come up
with a strong explanation of what conspired? This is just but an example of
application and importance of metadata. Metadata revolves around us even though
it can be hard to notice for instance, if you look at a Microsoft Word document, it
has aspects such as the name of the author, the date that the document was
created, the language and the date that the document was modified [2]. All this
area function of metadata. Therefore, metadata is a very important aspect across
different fields.
Data and metadata work hand in hand, there can be no metadata without data and
a data without metadata can sometimes be hard to understand. The two completes
each other and give a lot of meaning to many aspects in life. One of the areas that
he two have been applied is in computing. However, these two brings a lot of
confusion to many people. Some people cannot differentiate the two words. Before
digging deep into metadata integration, it is therefore necessary to differentiate the
two aspects.
What are the main differences between data and metadata?
Data metadata

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In simple words, data is the content
that describes something. Giving more
information about something be it a
report, observation or a measurement.
Metadata is used to describe the
relevant information about something.
Like the example given in data, if a
data measurement is given, a metadata
will describe that measurement like the
instrument that was used to take the
measurement.
Data can either be informative or not
informative. For example, some data
maybe raw such as numbers. This
numbers could be representing
anything therefore when not specified,
it is hard to obtain any information from
the data.
Since metadata is a description, it is
always informative. As in the case of
numbers, a metadata will provide
information of what the number
represents or how and when the
numbers were taken.
Data can be raw. That is, it is not
necessary that all data should be
processed. Some data will be processed
while other will not be processed.
Metadata is always considered as
processed data.
There are many differences that exist between data and metadata. The given
examples are just but a few of the many differences that exist [3]. The will be
considered as the main differences in this article.
This report will discuss the concept of both data and metadata integration, security
and uses of the two. While discussing the security of the two, the paper will focus on
the security of the storage device, that is, the computer and the computer network
that stores the data and its corresponding metadata.
Since the genesis of computers and computer networks, they are various security
threats that undermines and compromises their operations. Some of the challenges
have been handled while others are still work in progress. Technology and computer
networks go hand in hand, as the technology grows, computers and computer
networks grow alongside the trend. This trend is also faced by vulnerabilities and
security issues of the same weight. Therefore, it becomes necessary for the
operators to be prepared to handle these attacks.

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4.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.
Some of the aims and objectives of this research have been identified in the
sections above. The entire article is aimed at researching and discussing about
metadata and data integration. In details, the paper has shed more light into,
1. How metadata integration takes place,
2. Various standards that govern metadata integration around the globe.
3. Applications and importance of data and metadata integration.
4. Security issues surrounding the entire process of metadata and data
integration.
5. Computer and network security.
6. Metadata security labelling.
7. The quality of data and metadata.
8. Data and metadata retention.
9. Storage and accessibility of data.
Other areas that will be discussed in this paper are,
 Identify various network attacks.
 Conduct a penetration attack on a network.
 Provide counter measures on various network attacks.
 Improve network security to safeguard sensitive data.
5.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
6.0 RESEARCH METHODS.
In order to come up with information that can be trusted and that which can
provide resourceful information to deal with a problem, methods of data collection
should be well selected and weighed. In this report, the trusted methods of data
collection methods that were largely use area qualitative analysis. Interviews,
surveys and direct observations are the methods that were employed to come up
with the most accurate information [7]. Various groups of people interviewed
include, security providers of most trusted organizations, network security law
enforcers that is, digital forensic scientists as well as the end users of various

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networks. A survey was conducted on the various types of network attacks are
most pronounced in the modern society. The interview provided first-hand
information on various aspects of network security. The survey also provided the
consistency of various attacks. Direct observation approach was used when
conducting a penetration testing on a network system which included both internal
and external penetration testing. The penetration testing provided information on
various backdoors that were possible target of network attackers [8].
7.0 DISCUSSION AND THEORY.
In this section, all the attributes of data, metadata and computer security are
discussed in detail. The information in this section is sourced from a variety of both
secondary and primary data. Many trusted journals have contributed the most
information in these sections. The journals were carefully assayed and selected
based on its relevance to the objectives of the project. In addition, some of the data
and statistics in these sections have been derived from previous work that was
discussed in various sessions of the class [9].
What is data? The definition of data basically depends on the area of application. In
this research paper, data has been identified as, any processed information that is
fed or contained in a computer. Data takes various forms such as, continuous data,
attribute data, discrete data, qualitative and qualitative data. All these forms of data
have different meaning, applications as well as difference capacity and occurrences
as discussed below.
Across the world and different fields that deal with data, there are two broad
categories that are common in the different areas of applications. These two groups
are qualitative and quantitative data. However, the two types have different
meaning and different areas of applications. Quantitative data is data that can be
measured, determined and represented by numbers. Typically, all measuring
instruments collect quantitative data [10]. Example of quantitative data is, the
measurements of components such as, length, temperature, days and time took to
complete a task among many other examples. This is one of the form of data that is
widely used in the world. Qualitative data on the other hard the data that talks
about the characteristic of something and the descriptions that can observed and

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measured easily. The data helps describe the quality and appearance of something.
There can be a difference between different type of qualitative data about one
subject depending on various factors and sides of view of the subject since the data
is recorded objectively. Examples of such data include, textures, tastes and
attractiveness of something [11].
Metadata contains a lot of crucial, vulnerable and high-profile details that if exposed
especially to the wrong party, it can be exploited for money or compromise the
entire operation of an organization such as a bank. The value of exploiting data and
metadata has increased the risk of attacks by cyber criminals and cyber bullies [12].
Therefore, great care has to be taken to preserve the integrity of the data. For
instance, poorly integrated metadata of all kind faces various risks. Some of the
most popular risks are described below. When these attacks happen, large amount
of data is at risk and the attack may paralyze the entire operation of an
organization.
One of the primary specifications of formal metadata was the Federal Geographic
Data Committee's Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata issued in 1994.
With the increase of internet computing and also the web, the term metadata began
to be utilized in the context of describing information objects on the network [13].
The term entered the mainstream librarianship around 1995, with the creation and
promotion of Dublin Core Metadata Element set (Caplan, 2003), now a days the
term metadata is extremely common in librarianship and is shared with the pc
science domain. Within the DBMS domain which assumes that the pc is that the
milieu for both,the data being described and also the descriptive data itself,
metadata is defined simply as 'data about data'. This has become the fundamental
definition upon which the opposite definitions are built and while the term metadata
doesn't exclude non-electronic data, it's applied more often to data in electronic
form.
Hence, the word metadata has come to be used as a definition or description of
data: atiny low indicator that encompasses and points to a bigger piece of
information. So, "metadata may be a succinct and systematic set of knowledge that
references, and may be wont to efficiently and accurately retrieve, a bigger set of
information". Metadata, literally "Data about Data", is an increasingly ubiquitous

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term that's understood in numerous ways by the varied professional communities
that style, create, describe, preserve and use information systems and resources
[14].
Malware attack.
This is a form of attack that happens through malicious software. Malicious software
are unwanted software that are installed in your network system without your
awareness. The software may be introduced into your network system if they attach
themselves on legitimate software. There are various types of malware which
include, viruses (macro viruses, polymorphic viruses and stealth viruses), Trojans,
worms, logic bombs and file infectors.
All these types of malware attacks different file systems of your network
configuration. The malware may expose your data to a third party, damage
sensitive data, compromise your data, spy on your different activities in the network
or slow down the operation and efficiency of your system [15].
Cross site scripting
This is a type of network attack that uses a malicious JavaScript to launch an attack.
The JavaScript is in form of a third-party resource. The script is run through the
website in a networks’ database. When the user requests for a certain service
through the network, the website will transmit the results together with the
malicious script in form of payload in the HTML body. This type of attack is
considered dangerous by many sources since it can be used to spy on the network
and exploits other vulnerabilities that can be of greater consequences to the
network configuration [16].
Denial of service attack and distributed denial of service attack.
This is a type of attack where the attacker hinders the accessibility of essential
information to the user. This type of attack limits the users from accessing some
information or services for a certain period of time. The most common way that a
DoS attack is manifested is by overloading a system with large data traffic such that

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it will respond slowly to certain services. A DDoS attack happens in the same way
but as opposed to DoS which is launched from one host, the attack is launched from
a large number of other infected hosts [17].
Unlike other attacks that enable the attacker to gain access to network system,
denial-of-service attacks has other interests. In a business competition field, a
competitor may inject such an attack of another business in to slow down a
particular service that will give it a competitive advantage over the other business.
For example, on bank may slow how a network of a competitor so as to discourage
people from using the bank and prefer the other bank which by comparison will
have faster services than the other bank [18]. Other attackers attack a network
configuration for fun, they get satisfied when they know that they are responsible
for a certain delay of services. In other cases, this type of attack used as a cover for
another network attack such as hijacking and man-in-the-middle attack. Once the
system responds slowly, its defense mechanisms will also respond in the same
manner which makes it easy to be penetrated by other attacks.
There are various types of DoS attacks the most common one being, Transmission
Control Protocol SYN flood attack, smurf attack as well as teardrop attack.
Password attack
Traditionally, use of passwords is the most popular mechanism to verify the identity
of a user in a certain database or information system. In the same way, obtaining
the password of a certain user is one of the certain ways to gain access into
someone’s attack. Due to its popularity, there a variety of tools that an attacker can
use to get a certain password or to bypass the password all together. In addition,
some passwords are weak, and the attacker can easily guess the correct password
of a certain user. This is referred to as brute-force [19]. The attacker will guess
random passwords that they suspect their targets may be using. For instance, some
users use the same password to log in to different accounts. Most users tend to
choose a password that will be easy for them to remember. The user might choose
to use their birth dates as their passwords or their identification numbers. If the
attacker has access to such information, they can easy guess the password and
gain access to the network. This makes the entire network susceptible to attacks
even though this is one of the trusted ways to protect a network.

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In addition to brute-force, this authentication method has other loopholes. For
instance, the user may fail to logout of the system once after using the account
[20]. This means that the attacker can easily access the account of the user which
puts the entire network at jeopardy. Another loophole is presented when a group of
people use a common password to log into a network system. The mass sharing be
led to leakage of the password to people who are not supposed to gain access to
the network configuration.
Step by step implementation process
a) Establishing a planning team.
Development of systems whether from the scratch or purchased require planning
which is time consuming, data, management skills, expertise and total
understanding of the organization and its data operation. Projects therefore, require
teams which are tasked with planning. These teams should include members from
the interested parties, technical authority, manager from the organization and the
decision makers who are responsible for the data. Teams should be led by a person
who has good leadership skills and is capable of directing the team in making
decisions without permissions.
b) Conducting a metadata needs assessment
Planning team faces may challenges in implementing the metadata system that
satisfies the needs of different users. As such, it requires assessment which is
meant to collect the information about how the stakeholders are planning to use the
metadata system so that planners will ensure that it meets the requirements. This
may be helpful to those stakeholders in familiarizing themselves with advantages of
metadata. Need statement is the final product which is to be written as the people
that worked in the project will be taken off and new people will be tasked in
implementing the next phase. Functional and technical needs should be described
in the Need statement.
c) Incorporating relevant metadata standards.
There are many benefits yielded in adopting standards which are verified and
accepted into a metadata system. This enables organizations to have access to
expertise from publishers whose standards have been proven. This reduces time
spent in developing a brand-new system. Existing standards help in framing a
development project and can provide a start point and comparability is improved.
d) Conducting cost benefit analysis and estimating return on investment.
Questions about the cost of the system and whether the benefits will outweigh the
cost are vital in development of the metadata system. Planners analyze the cost-

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benefit to make sure that the implications have been considered both negative and
positive. A Return on investment (ROI) concept is used to show the amount gained
(return) in comparison to the amount required for the return. Planners should also
be prepared for the unanticipated costs which are rare with careful planning. Cost-
benefit analysis for a metadata system faces a challenge in price of good data.
Metadata system benefits are quantifiable but not all are. A metadata system which
is robust can minimize the repetition in data system, data can be more accessible to
staffs thus saving time, the quality of the data is improved and makes it easier for
the users to understand the data which leads to better decision making.
e) Build versus buy analysis.
Building or buying the metadata system is always a tough decision to make. The
uncertainty of starting from the beginning without necessary human resources
required can be challenging, but purchasing products have their own
disadvantages. Purchased products cannot be modified which means they prevent
upgrades and they might not work properly. These purchased systems have few
sets of metadata that do not meet the basic information needed in some
organizations.
f) Metadata system architecture.
The results of a buy-verses-build analysis are metadata architecture which depends
on management, technology and leadership of the organizations. Metadata system
is divided in three designs mainly:
 Centralized architecture- metadata is stored in a single
database. Discovering a model that satisfies the
requirements of data systems and stakeholders is a huge
challenge. The implementation is straightforward if a
single model has been designed for the entire
organization. They systems are in a single entity making
them easier to operate and govern which makes decision
to be centralized. Users access the metadata system
though modified through single platform.
 Federated architecture- systems in federated each stands
on its own and they maintain their own metadata system
in the scope of centralized structure of governance and
technical framework. This enables the metadata to follow
particular information required of each data system.
Federated design need planning within a separated
architecture and the need for refined technical
infrastructure and governance.
 Distributed architecture- each data system has an
equivalent metadata system. Modification and updating

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of metadata is one benefit of distributed system.
However, integration lacks which leads to each
component evolve ignoring universal rules that allow
synchronization with the system. Deviation of definitions
and vocabularies from other systems leading to
redundant names for one product. Data qualities
diminish.
g) Establishing a project implementation plan.
The effort to implementation a metadata that is efficient and effective requires a
complete and accurate project plan. All project aspects should be addressed in the
implementation plan and allocated. It should present manageable tasks and non-
continuous work. The activities are then carried out and completed separately I
order to make them understandable and performed by implementation team
members. The coordination between the current data systems and metadata should
be considered in implementation of the metadata systems.
h) Training users.
Many stakeholders are not familiar with the term metadata which makes it
necessary to provide professional development. Poor training creates challenges in
many fields and available data tools are hindered from reaching their full potential.
Commitment is required from both the organization in developing skilled trainees in
different needs and allocation of development time upon system implementation
and current use. In order for the stakeholders to appreciate benefits of metadata
and the power it provides comprehensive training must be provided. The
fundamental aim of training is to familiarize users with; the purpose of metadata, to
make the operation of metadata system in an efficient and effective manner and
informing their data use using metadata. Trainers need to describe the concept of
metadata and its relevance to stakeholders group’s roles and obligations.
Stakeholders should be able to understand what metadata are and why they should
use them
8.0 TESTING AND TROUBLESHOOTING.
Penetration testing.
There are various tools that are available for testing the security of a network
configuration. Each of these available tools have specific areas of applications. The
most common way to test the security of a system is through a penetration testing.
Penetration testing entails simulating real time attacks on a network configuration
to examine the risks and vulnerabilities that could lead to potential future network
security breach that might compromise the integrity of the data contained in the