Access control requirements for physical spaces protected by virtual perimeters

Abstract

Intelligent computing capabilities are gradually being entrenched into physical spaces, thereby clouding the boundaries between physical and cyber spaces. To date, physically-enabled cyber-attacks have not fully been addressed in cyber space, due to a limitation on available technology. When a sensitive spreadsheet is printed, it leaves the protection of the logical space, and is only protected by security mechanisms of the physical space in which it is located. To provide better protection, a virtual perimeter can be formed around such a document, using location and topology-aware technologies. Making security mechanisms more location and topology-aware requires the investigation of a range of security relevant characteristics and their possible representations. To date, not much research has been done to address the protection of assets within a virtual perimeter. This research makes a contribution by evaluating a number of current access control approaches that address the physical and cyber world together, and then proposes a set of access control requirements for physical spaces that are protected by virtual perimeters.