Security Issues
Smart phones, tablets, laptop computers, USB memory are convenient and easy to use.
They also introduce risk to personal privacy.
Security in Broad Sense
Securing information from unauthorized access is a major problem for any network - wireline or wireless Security, in a broad sense, focuses on network security system security, information security, and physical security. It is made up of a suite of multiple technologies that solve numerous authentication, informatio integrity, and identification problems. It includes the following technologies – firewalls, authentication servers, biometrics, cryptography, intrusion detection, virus protection, and VPNs.
Risks of Mobile Computing
Mobile computing devices can store large amounts of data, are highly portable and are frequently unprotected. They are easy to steal or lose, and unless precautions are taken, an unauthorized person can gain access to the information stored on them or accessed through them. Even if not stolen or lost, intruders can sometimes gain all the access they need if the device is left alone and unprotected, if data is "sniffed out of the air" during wireless communications, or if malware is installed. The results can include crippled devices, personal data loss, disclosure of non-public University data, and disciplinary actions for the device owner.
Data Security Requirements
The best way to protect your data is to remove unnecessary data from your computer. In particular, prohibited data must not be stored on your system or device. Prohibited data includes items such as Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers, or checking account numbers. The controls necessary for confidential data are specified by its owner or custodian and may include those specified for prohibited or restricted data.
The best way to protect your data is to remove unnecessary data from your computer. In particular, prohibited data must not be stored on your system or device. Prohibited data includes items such as Social Security Numbers, credit card numbers, or checking account numbers. The controls necessary for confidential data are specified by its owner or custodian and may include those specified for prohibited or restricted data.
"Is Mobile Payment Secure ?" - Michael Grannan, Isis
IBM's Integration of Mobile Cloud Computing and Mobile Cloud security
Operational problems
- Disconnection. Wireless communications suffer from frequent disconnections due to a higher degree of noise and interference as well as the process of inter-cell hand-offs. Disconnections can be hidden by asynchronous operation.
- Bandwidth and Interface Variability. Bandwidth can shift one to four orders of magnitude, depending on whether the system is plugged in or using wireless access or switching interfaces, e.g. from infrared to radio when the user moves from indoors to outdoors. Mobile applications have to adapt their behavior properly.
- Heterogeneous network. To achieve wireless communication a mobile host must get connected to different and heterogeneous networks. The general problem of heterogeneity can be addressed by exploiting emerging distributed systems standards such as the Object Management Group's Common Object Request Broker Architecture (OMG-CORBA), or the Open Software Foundations Distributed Computing Environment (OSF-DCE).
- Security Risks. Precisely because connection to a wireless link is so easy, the security of wireless communication can be compromised much more easily than that of wired communication.
Mobility Problems
- Address Migration. This a consequence of mobility and several techniques such as selective broadcast, central services, home bases and forwarding pointers may provide solutions.
- Location-dependent Information. Information needed to configure a computer, such as the local name server, available printers, time zone, etc., is location dependent. Mechanisms are needed for obtaining configuration data appropriate to each location.
- Privacy. Answering dynamic location queries requires knowing the location of other mobile users. Such information should be protected against misuse and this can be achieved by denying users the availability to know other users' location.
- Inter-realm support. Designing distributed services to support the mobile user. Providing authentication, accounting and management over a wide area and across organisations.