Mobile Computing (MC)

Mobile devices like cell phones are becoming more and more ubiquitous. They are already in daily use for business work as well as for personal applications. Hence, mobile computing offers many opportunities for new kinds of work and business. Nevertheless, we must be aware of the risks which arise if we use mobile devices in security critical transactions like m business without taking appropriate security measures. Methods: Formal methods like algebraic specification languages, logics, and model checking can be used to help building secure distributed computing environments in which mobile devices are an integral part. It is envisioned to develop a method which allows checking if a given distributed application adheres to a given security policy. Specifically, the security aspects authentication, access control, and information flow. Within this framework, the ABLP calculus, a modal logic, will be used to reason demonstrate the feasibility, a secure distributed Java-application, will be implemented which provably satisfies the about security properties. In order to predefined security policy. Specifically, this policy must take into account the security risks introduced by handhelds like PDAS. Java Security: Many mobile devices like WAP cell phones and PDAS are already Java-enabled. This offers, the opportunity to implement online-banking software in Java. Due to the limited memory and CPU power of mobile devices, only reduced security mechanisms are available. Hence, goal is to develop secure Java-software for mobile devices. E-Security Check Tool: In many cases, appropriate security mechanisms do already exist, but often these mechanisms are not used at all or in an incorrect way. For example, in case of SSL a rather insecure cipher suite with 40-bit encryption could be selected instead of the secure version with the larger key length. This is not a problem for mobile computing and affects most of the other security aspects (eg:operating system security, firewalls). To help the people responsible for security make the correct security decisions, a tool is being developed that presents a list of questions to the user. These questions are ordered in a tree-like fashion, starting with the more general questions. On walking through the tree, the questions become more and more detailed such that the tool is also useful for system administrators. Since not all aspects of security can be handled, the tool will first focus on security issues of mobile computing due to the increasing relevance of this area. WLAN Security: WLAN security (Wireles LAN) is a further research field nowadays. In particular, the University of Bremen runs on its campus a WLAN according to IEEE 802.11b which can be used by both the staff and students. It extends the existing campus Intranet and will soon provide the whole campus with IP-connectivity. To provide appropriate WLAN-security mechanisms, a VPN- solution has been chosen; this is currently a standard at German universities. Overview of Wireline & Wireless: Telephony is a term coined in the late 1980s to cover a wide variety of telecommunications-related equipment, peripherals, and services that have one thing in common, they enable us to communicate. It is the technology associated with the electronic transmission of voice, fax, or other information between distant parties using systems historically associated with the telephone, a handheld device containing both a speaker or transmitter and a receiver. With the arrival of computers and the transmittal of digital information over telephone systems and the use of radio to transmit telephone signals, the distinction between telephony and telecommunication has become difficult to make. However, we believe that telephony does connote voice or spoken and heard information predominately and it usually assumes a point-to-point connection. It usually implies a temporarily dedicated connection Wireline Telephony When we think about, wireline, we think about good old copper. The transmission material of choice of the telephone system since the beginning. Despite the development of mediums and the resulting supportive technologies of fiber, satellite, and wireless, copper has continued to increase its bandwidth and versatility as it enters the digital age. Cable, T-1, ISDN, ADSL and other high-speed protocols are transforming the bandwidth battle into a wide-open forum. Copper's chief advantages: existing Public Network infrastructure, and relatively low costs enables Copper Wireline to compete well into the 21st Century. Wireline compare to Wireless in this comparison: Wireline will continue to hold a Cost/Configuration advantage over Wireless in areas where there is already supporting Public Network (LEC, CLEC) infrastructure and penetration. On the Internet front, DSL will be the medium of choice for business users, and Cable Modem will be the choice of home users. Wireless Telephony The demand by consumers all over the world for mobile communications is booming and will continue for at least the next decade. By the end of 2005, over 200 million people in the United States were using cellular service. Another 100 million or so were also in touch by pager. By the year 2005, almost Americans will regularly use some kind of device to keep in touch with friends, family, and their work. Globally, the numbers are growing equally as fast. Over 500 million people were using a mobile service by the end of 2005-that number is expected to grow to 200 billion by the year 2008 in the world. People are utilizing wireless technology to connect their fixed home and business phones as well, particularly in developing nations around the world. How does wireless technology work? Wireless communications systems provide anytime, anywhere communications. When you talk on a wireless phone, it transmits low energy radio waves to a local antenna site, which connects you will the landline or wireless location you are calling. That same antenna also sends signals back to your wireless phone. A computerized system monitors each call and ensures that the phone always receives the strongest available signal at all times. Wireless systems fall into two groups, depending on their range of operation: (i) Wide area systems are targeted at highly mobile users whose primary concern is the ability to communicate at any time from any location. (ii) Local area systems, because they are more of a convenience, usually replace local wireline service. Telephony is the technology associated with the electronic transmission of voice, fax, or other information between distant parties using systems historically associated with the telephone, a handheld device containing both a speaker or transmitter and a receiver. With the arrival of computers and the transmit of digital information over telephone systems and the use of radio to transmit telephone signals, the distinction between telephony and tele-communication has become difficult to make. However, we believe that telephony does connote voice or spoken and heard information predominately and it usually assumes a point-to-point (rather than a broadcast) connection. It usually implies a temporarily dedicated connection (although delayed voice messages can obviously be sent as connectionless packets). Internet telephony is the use of the Internet rather than the traditional telephone company infrastructure and rate structure to exchange spoken or other telephone information. Since access to the Internet is available at local phone connection rates, an international or other long-distance call will be much less expensive than through the traditional call arrangement. On the internet, three new services are now available: 1. The ability to make a normal voice phone call (whether or not the person called is immediately available; that is, the phone will ring at the location of the person called) through the Internet at the price of a local call. 2. The ability to send fax transmissions at very low cost (at local call prices) through a gateway point on the Internet in major cities. 3. The ability to send voice messages along with text e-mail.