A caching and spatial K-anonymity driven privacy enhancement scheme in continuous location-based services

With the rapid pervasion of location-based services (LBSs), protection of location privacy has become a significant concern. In most continuous LBSs' privacy-preserving solutions, users need to transmit the location query data to an untrusted location service provider (LSP) to obtain query results, and the users discard these results immediately after using them. This results in an ineffective use of these results by future queries and in turn leads to a higher risk to user privacy from the LSP. To address these issues, we generally use caching to cache the query results for users' future queries. However, the minimization of the interaction between users and LSPs is a challenge. In this paper, we propose an enhanced user privacy scheme through caching and spatial K-anonymity (CSKA) in continuous LBSs; it adopts multi-level caching to reduce the risk of exposure of users' information to untrusted LSPs. In continuous LBS queries, our scheme first utilizes the Markov model to predict the next query location according to the user mobility. Then, according to the predicted location, cell's cache contribution rate, and data freshness, an algorithm for forming spatial K-anonymity is designed to improve the user's cache hit rate and enhance the user location privacy. The security analysis and simulation results demonstrate that our proposed CSKA scheme can provide higher privacy protection than a few previous methods, and it can minimize the overhead of the LBS server

Security, Trust and Privacy in Cyber (STPCyber): Future trends and challenges

© 2020 Today's world experiences massively interconnected devices to share information across variety of platforms between traditional computers (machines), Smart IoT devices used across smart homes, smart interconnected vehicles etc. and of course the social networks apps such as Facebook, Linkdn, twitter etc. We experience the growth has been skyrocketing and the trend will continue exponentially to the future. At one end, we find life becomes easier with such developments and at the other end; we experience more and more cyber threats on our privacy, security and trustworthiness with organizations holding our data. In this special issue, we summarize contributions by authors in advanced topics related to security, trust and privacy based on a range of applications and present a selection of the most recent research efforts in these areas

Fair-RTT-DAS: A robust and efficient dynamic adaptive streaming over ICN

To sustain the adequate bandwidth demands over rapidly growing multimedia traffic and considering the effectiveness of Information-Centric Networking (ICN), recently, HTTP based Dynamic Adaptive Streaming (DASH) has been introduced over ICN, which significantly increases the network bandwidth utilisation. However, we identified that the inherent features of ICN also causes new vulnerabilities in the network. In this paper, we first propose a novel attack called as Bitrate Oscillation Attack (BOA), which exploits fundamental ICN characteristics: in-network caching and interest aggregation, to disrupt DASH functionality. In particular, the proposed attack forces the bitrate and resolution of video received by the attacked client to oscillate with high frequency and high amplitude during the streaming process. To detect and mitigate BOA, we design and implement a reactive countermeasure called Fair-RTT-DAS. Our solution ensures efficient bandwidth utilisation and improves the user perceived Quality of Experience (QoE) in the presence of varying content source locations. For this purpose, Fair-RTT-DAS consider DASH\u2019s two significant features: round-trip-time (RTT) and throughput fairness. In the presence of BOA in a network, our simulation results show an increase in the annoyance factor in user\u2019s spatial dimension, i.e., increase in oscillation frequency and amplitude. The results also show that our countermeasure significantly alleviates these adverse effects and makes dynamic adaptive streaming friendly to ICN\u2019s implicit features

Integration of ICN and MEC in 5G and beyond networks : mutual benefits, use cases, challenges, standardization, and future research

Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) is a novel edge computing paradigm that moves cloudbased processing and storage capabilities closer to mobile users by implementing server resources in the access nodes. MEC helps fulfill the stringent requirements of 5G and beyond networks to offer anytimeanywhere connectivity for many devices with ultra-low delay and huge bandwidths. Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is another prominent network technology that builds on a content-centric network architecture to overcome host-centric routing/operation shortcomings and to realize efficient pervasive and ubiquitous networking. It is envisaged to be employed in Future Internet including Beyond 5G (B5G) networks. The consolidation of ICN with MEC technology offers new opportunities to realize that vision and serve advanced use cases. However, various integration challenges are yet to be addressed to enable the wide-scale co-deployment of ICN with MEC in future networks. In this paper, we discuss and elaborate on ICN MEC integration to provide a comprehensive survey with a forward-looking perspective for B5G networks. In that regard, we deduce lessons learned from related works (for both 5G and B5G networks). We present ongoing standardization activities to highlight practical implications of such efforts. Moreover, we render key B5G use cases and highlight the role for ICN MEC integration for addressing their requirements. Finally, we layout research challenges and identify potential research directions. For this last contribution, we also provide a mapping of the latter to ICN integration challenges and use cases

A Survey on Security and Privacy of 5G Technologies: Potential Solutions, Recent Advancements, and Future Directions

Security has become the primary concern in many telecommunications industries today as risks can have high consequences. Especially, as the core and enable technologies will be associated with 5G network, the confidential information will move at all layers in future wireless systems. Several incidents revealed that the hazard encountered by an infected wireless network, not only affects the security and privacy concerns, but also impedes the complex dynamics of the communications ecosystem. Consequently, the complexity and strength of security attacks have increased in the recent past making the detection or prevention of sabotage a global challenge. From the security and privacy perspectives, this paper presents a comprehensive detail on the core and enabling technologies, which are used to build the 5G security model; network softwarization security, PHY (Physical) layer security and 5G privacy concerns, among others. Additionally, the paper includes discussion on security monitoring and management of 5G networks. This paper also evaluates the related security measures and standards of core 5G technologies by resorting to different standardization bodies and provide a brief overview of 5G standardization security forces. Furthermore, the key projects of international significance, in line with the security concerns of 5G and beyond are also presented. Finally, a future directions and open challenges section has included to encourage future research.European CommissionNational Research Tomsk Polytechnic UniversityUpdate citation details during checkdate report - A

Deniable-Based Privacy-Preserving Authentication Against Location Leakage in Edge Computing

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IEEE via the DOI in this recordEdge computing provides cloud services at the edge of the network for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It aims to address low latency of the network and alleviates data processing of the cloud. This “cloud-edge-device” paradigm brings convenience as well as challenges for location-privacy protection of the IoT. In the edge computing environment, the fixed edge equipment supplies computing services for adjacent IoT devices. Therefore, edge computing suffers location leakage as the connection and authentication records imply the location of IoT devices. This article focuses on the location awareness in the edge computing environment. We adopt the “deniability” of authentication to prevent location leakage when IoT devices connect to the edge nodes. In our solution, an efficient deniable authentication based on a two-user ring signature is constructed. The robustness of authentication makes the fixed edge equipment accept the legal end devices. Besides, the deniability of authentication cannot convince any third party that the fact of this authentication occurred as communication transcript is no longer an evidence for this connection. Therefore, it handles the inherent location risk in edge computing. Compared to efficient deniable authentications, our protocol saves 10.728% and 14.696% computational cost, respectively.Ministry of EducationSichuan Science and Technology ProgramNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaEuropean Union Horizon 202

Preserving Users’ Location Privacy in Mobile Platforms

Mobile and interconnected devices both have witnessed rapid advancements in computing and networking capabilities due to the emergence of Internet-of-Things, Connected Societies, Smart Cities and other similar paradigms. Compared to traditional personal computers, these devices represent moving gateways that offer possibilities to influence new businesses and, at the same time, have the potential to exchange users’ sensitive data. As a result, this raises substantial threats to the security and privacy of users that must be considered. With the focus on location data, this thesis proposes an efficient and socially-acceptable solution to preserve users’ location privacy, maintaining the quality of service, and respecting the usability by not relying on changes to the mobile app ecosystem. This thesis first analyses the current mobile app ecosystem as to apply a privacy-bydesign approach to location privacy from the data computation to its visualisation. From our analysis, a 3-Layer Classification model is proposed that depicts the state-ofthe- art in three layers providing a new perspective towards privacy-preserving locationbased applications. Secondly, we propose a theoretically sound privacy-enhancing model, called LP-Cache, that forces the mobile app ecosystem to make location data usage patterns explicit and maintains the balance between location privacy and service utility. LP-Cache defines two location privacy preserving algorithms: on-device location calculation and personalised permissions. The former incorporates caching technique to determine the location of client devices by means of wireless access points and achieve data minimisation in the current process. With the later, users can manage each app and private place distinctly to mitigate fundamental location privacy threats, such as tracking, profiling, and identification. Finally, PL-Protector, implements LP-Cache as a middleware on Android platform. We evaluate PL-Protector in terms of performance, privacy, and security. Experimental results demonstrate acceptable delay and storage overheads, which are within practical limits. Hence, we claim that our approach is a practical, secure and efficient solution to preserve location privacy in the current mobile app ecosystem

A comprehensive survey of V2X cybersecurity mechanisms and future research paths

Recent advancements in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication have notably improved existing transport systems by enabling increased connectivity and driving autonomy levels. The remarkable benefits of V2X connectivity come inadvertently with challenges which involve security vulnerabilities and breaches. Addressing security concerns is essential for seamless and safe operation of mission-critical V2X use cases. This paper surveys current literature on V2X security and provides a systematic and comprehensive review of the most relevant security enhancements to date. An in-depth classification of V2X attacks is first performed according to key security and privacy requirements. Our methodology resumes with a taxonomy of security mechanisms based on their proactive/reactive defensive approach, which helps identify strengths and limitations of state-of-the-art countermeasures for V2X attacks. In addition, this paper delves into the potential of emerging security approaches leveraging artificial intelligence tools to meet security objectives. Promising data-driven solutions tailored to tackle security, privacy and trust issues are thoroughly discussed along with new threat vectors introduced inevitably by these enablers. The lessons learned from the detailed review of existing works are also compiled and highlighted. We conclude this survey with a structured synthesis of open challenges and future research directions to foster contributions in this prominent field.This work is supported by the H2020-INSPIRE-5Gplus project (under Grant agreement No. 871808), the ”Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformacion Digital” and the European Union-NextGenerationEU in the frameworks of the ”Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia” and of the ”Mecanismo de Recuperación y Resiliencia” under references TSI-063000-2021-39/40/41, and the CHIST-ERA-17-BDSI-003 FIREMAN project funded by the Spanish National Foundation (Grant PCI2019-103780).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version