Security for context-aware ad-hoc networking applications

Abstract

With the rapid spreading of ubiquitous computing applications, the importance of security concepts coping with their needs is also growing. While the possible application areas are so vast that one all-purpose security middleware fitting all the different needs seems impossible to realize, it is undoubtedly meaningful to have security frameworks covering the needs of as many applications as possible. In this paper, we thus discuss a security middleware for context-aware ad-hoc networking applications in home and work environments. The article focuses on two novel issues: it shows that the solution is particularly well-suited for context-aware applications, an often-encountered type of applications within home and work environments; and it discusses the encountered, non-trivial trade-offs between ad-hoc networking, context-awareness, and strong security. © 2008 International Federation for Information Processing.