The widespread use of smartphones is boosting the market take-up of dedicated applications and among them, barcode scanning applications. Several barcodes scanners are available but show security and privacy weaknesses. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive security and privacy analysis of 100 barcode scanner applications. According to our analysis, there are some apps that provide security services including checking URLs and adopting cryptographic solutions, and other apps that guarantee user privacy by supporting least privilege permission lists. However, there are also apps that deceive the users by providing security and privacy protections that are weaker than what is claimed. We analyzed 100 barcode scanner applications and we categorized them based on the real security features they provide, or on their popularity. From the analysis, we extracted a set of recommendations that developers should follow in order to build usable, secure and privacy-friendly barcode scanning applications. Based on them, we also implemented BarSec Droid, a proof of concept Android application for barcode scanning. We then conducted a user experience test on our app and we compared it with DroidLa, the most popular/secure QR code reader app. The results show that our app has nice features, such as ease of use, provides security trust, is effective and efficient.

Cookies have been used by websites to store information about user behavior. Although they provide several benefits, including improving user experience, they can threaten user privacy, particularly when websites use third-party cookies for data analysis. Websites must inform their users about what data are collected and how they are used through the cookie interface. Thus, it is important to understand the effects of cookie interface design on user behavior to verify whether these interfaces provide users with the required information to make an informed decision. In this paper, we evaluated the cookie interfaces of 243 E-Government websites based on well-defined guidelines to understand the critical factors designers should consider when designing cookie interfaces. To evaluate the cookies interfaces’ usability, we selected one of the inspection-based methods called the individual expert review method. The results showed that European websites are more compliant with the adopted guidelines. Surprisingly, more than 50% of the websites did not provide a cookie interface to their users, while more than 40% did not provide a privacy policy. The primary finding of this study is that over 90% of the websites use dark patterns in their interfaces. The study concludes with some recommendations to help in designing a usable privacy interface.

Recently, hackers intend to reproduce malicious links utilizing several ways to mislead users. They try to control victims’ machines or get their data remotely by gaining access to private information they use via cyberspace. QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes with the capacity to encode various data types and can be viewed by digital devices, such as smartphones. However, there is no approved protocol in QR code generation; therefore, QR codes might be exposed to several questionable attacks. QR code attacks might be perpetrated using barcodes, and there are some security countermeasures. Some of these solutions are restricted to malicious link detection techniques with knowledge of cryptographic methods. Therefore, this study aims to detect malicious links embedded in 1D (linear) and 2D (QR) codes. A cybercrime attack was proposed based on barcode counterfeiting that can be used to perform online attacks. A dataset of 100000 malicious and benign URLs was created via several resources, and their lexical features were obtained. Analyses were conducted to illustrate how different features and users deal with online barcode content. Several artificial intelligence models were implemented. A decision tree classifier was identified as the most suitable model for identifying malicious URLs. Our outcomes suggested that a secure artificial intelligence barcode scanner (BarAI) is recommended to detect malicious barcode links with an accuracy of 90.243%.

In Saudi Arabia, there is a scarcity of water used for agriculture and human consumption. Therefore, the aquaponic technique needs to be considered. Aquaponics is a modern, environmentally friendly agricultural technology that combines hydroponics and aquaculture into one system. However, the key to a successful aquaponic system is optimizing the stocking density for the target species. This study estimates the effect of three stocking densities—3 kg/m⁻³, 6 kg/m⁻³, and 9 kg/m⁻³—in five replicates on the growth performance and water quality of fingerling Nile tilapia (Oreochomis niloticus), as well as the yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) grown in the nutrient film technique (NFT) aquaponic system. As for the planting density, 36 spinach plants are planted per m⁻² for each replicate. The experiment is set up for 8 weeks. The findings reveal that the average final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and survival rate of Nile tilapia were significantly higher in the 3 kg/m⁻³ treatment. It is evident that the total yield of spinach increased as the stocking density increased (p < 0.05). Most of the water quality measurements are significant, pH values range from 6.74 to 7.47, dissolved oxygen is 4.33 to 6.35, ammonia is 0.13 to 0.17 mg/L⁻¹, nitrite is 0.045 to 0.089, and nitrate is 2.44 to 3.35. Therefore, to maximize the productivity of spinach and tilapia while achieving the maximum benefit from fresh water, it can be recommended to use the stocking density of Nile tilapia fingerlings in the range of 6 kg/m⁻³ in the aquaponic system.

In many countries, the rapid growth of the Internet and mobile technologies has led to the expansion of Internet banking, especially mobile banking. Many banks seek to provide integrated banking services through mobile applications (apps) to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. A quick look at the reviews of the mobile banking apps in Saudi Arabia reveals different usability issues among these apps. This research analyzed, evaluated, and compared the usability of all Saudi mobile banking apps available for the iOS and Android systems. Usability (as defined by ISO 9241) was measured using three criteria—effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. This research also identified and discussed the most critical weaknesses of the Saudi banks’ apps in regard to providing satisfactory solutions to developers. The results showed that the most critical issues existed in the user interfaces and functionality of the apps, especially those that frequently received updates. Furthermore, the lack of customer support made the interaction between banks and customers weak, leading to customer dissatisfaction.

Aquaponic systems offer an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture, where the interplay between fish and plant cultivation can be optimized. The choice of feeding and fasting schedules plays a crucial role in system efficiency and overall productivity. This study aims to investigate the impacts of various feeding and fasting schedules on water quality, and the growth performance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings, and spinach productivity in an aquaponic system based on the nutrient film technique (NFT). O. niloticus fingerlings with an initial weight of 13.47 ± 0.14 g were randomly stocked at a density of 6 kg/m³, and spinach plants (Spinacia oleracea) were included. The study employed a completely randomized block design with five replications. Various water quality parameters were monitored, and the effects of different feeding/fasting schedules on fish and spinach were assessed. The data revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in water quality parameters, all of which remained within acceptable ranges for aquaponic systems. The one-day feeding/one-day fasting treatment resulted in reduced final body weight, weight gain percentage, and specific growth rate, compared to other treatment groups (p < 0.05). Higher levels of glucose and plasma cortisol were observed in this treatment. Economic efficiency was highest in the daily feeding treatment (40.05%), with no statistical difference (p > 0.05) observed in the group subjected to three-day feeding/one-day fasting (39.03%). Spinach yield varied significantly between treatments (p < 0.05), with the daily feeding treatment recording the highest yield (2.78 kg/m²) and the one-day feeding/one-day fasting cycle having the lowest yield (1.57 kg/m²). The findings suggest that the three-day feeding/one-day fasting regime in an NFT-based aquaponic system results in efficient nutrient utilization, higher productivity, and profitability for Nile tilapia. Additionally, this approach supports marketable biomass production for spinach. Different feeding and fasting schedules have distinct effects on water quality, fish growth, and spinach productivity in aquaponic systems. The three-day feeding/one-day fasting schedule emerges as an effective strategy for optimizing resource utilization and increasing overall productivity.