An architecture and protocol, an access control model, and a sighting blurring algorithm for improving users' security in the context of location based services operating over the internet
Dunne, Cameron R. (2009) An architecture and protocol, an access control model, and a sighting blurring algorithm for improving users' security in the context of location based services operating over the internet. PhD thesis, Dublin City University.
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A new type of service, known as a Location Based Service (LBS), is emerging that
incorporates users' location information, and many of these LBSs operate over the
Internet. However, the potential misuse of this location information is a serious
concern. Therefore, the main goal of this thesis is to develop techniques, which
increase users' security and privacy, for use with these LBSs.
The rst technique that we propose is a three-party protocol that is used to mutually
identify and authenticate users, LBSs, and a trusted middleware infrastructure
that is responsible for managing the users' identity and location information. This
protocol enables users to simultaneously identify and authenticate themselves to the
infrastructure using real identities, and to the LBSs using pseudonyms. This protocol
can be subsequently used to securely exchange messages containing location
The second technique that we propose is an access control model that enables
users to create permissions that specify which users and LBSs are entitled to obtain
location information about which other users, under what circumstances the location
information is released to the users and LBSs, and the accuracy of any location
information that is released to the users and LBSs.
The third technique that we propose is a blurring algorithm that performs spatial
blurring on users' location information. It does not perform temporal blurring,
because this reduces an LBS's ability to offer a useful service. Instead, our blurring
algorithm introduces a new parameter that species the frequency with which location
information is released for a particular user. This frequency parameter is a
function of the size of the blurred location.
These three techniques can be used as part of an overall solution for providing
users with increased security while using LBSs that operate over the Internet.
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