Publications | CCS-NSUK

The Cyberspace: Redefining A New World

Author(s): U. M. Mbanaso, PhDand E.S. Dandaura, PhD. | Published date: May, 2015

Abstract: The cyberspace  driven  by information  systems  and the  Internet  is  transforming  our  environment  in extraordinary  ways  by  enabling  economic  growth  and  providing  new  means  by  which  people  connect,  interact and collaborate with one another. The continuous evolution of components of information and communications technology  (ICT);  advances  in the underlying digital  components  (core  electronics)and  the  corresponding reduction  in  costs suggest  that  the Internet is increasingly becoming more  readily  available  and  accessible worldwide.  The  outcome  is  that  more  and  more  people  around  the globe  will  ultimately  rely  on the effective functioning of  the  Internet to survive and  prosper. This  suggests  an  unremitting upsurge  of the population  of cyber citizens globally.Most countries no longer take these emerging trends in the virtual world casually. Aside the  evolution of  digital  economy  driven  by the extensive  use  of  information  space  or  digital  knowledge, most countries are working hard to dominate the information space. As the industrial revolution bifurcated the world, so also is the level of exploitation of the vast opportunities on cyberspace bifurcating nation states. This is simply due  to  the  fact that traditional  activities  of  all  sorts  are increasingly shifting  to  this  new domain.Certainly, cyberspace  has  become  a  new focal  point for  innovations,  enterprises,  social  networking,  criminality and warfare.These  factors  are  reshaping  and  redefining  a  new  world.  Most  countries  that  have  recognized cyberspace as the fifth domain, have,equally elevated their perception of the domain as an abstract virtual space to  a  more  concrete  space with‘physical boundaries’. This  paper  explores  the  different  levels  at  which cyberspace is bringing benefits and risks to mankind, and the factors responsible for the widening gap between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations.

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The Cyberspace and Intensification of Privacy Invasion

Author(s): U. Mbanaso, PhD and E.S. Dandaura, PhD | Published date: Apr, 2015

Abstract: The widespread adoption of cyberspace for exceptional socio-economic activities, especially as it is connecting populations around the globe in ways never foreseen is raising fresh security issues.What is fueling this embracement, is the pervasiveness of social media and innovative mobile computing devices.  This has not only  changed  our  ways  of  life,  but  also  blurs  the  lines  that  define  the  way  governments  run,  business  are conducted  as  well  as  the  way  we  use  and  share information. Yet,  these new  ways  of  services  and  interactions, are  raising new threats  in terms  of privacy,  integrity,confidentiality  and  trust.  Cyberspace transactions cut across national boundaries, in many cases,without any form of existing trust relationships of any sort. Again, the  explosion  in  mobile  computing  is  extending  the influence of  social  web;  the  manner in which content  is shared and accessed is now defining a symbol of new global status,affecting and merging the realm of personal and  business  life. Besides  the  threats  from criminal  minded  people  or  group,  deliberate  efforts  by  states  to dominate (or show supremacy) with the potential to halt other states economically, politically or militarily, lies intensified privacy  invasion  that  is  unfamiliar to  the  unsuspecting  technology  user.This  paper explores  the different levels  at  which users  of cyberspace  are exposed to privacy invasion, the consequences and  manner in which some of the risks can be mitigated even as we continue to record steady upswing of mobile computing by cyberspace users.

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Obligations of Trust for Privacy and Confidentiality in Distributed Transactions

Author(s): U.M.Mbanaso, G.S. Cooper, David Chadwick, Anne Anderson | Published date: Nov, 2008

Abstract Purpose– This paper describes a bilateral symmetric approach to authorization, privacy protection and obligation enforcement in distributed transactions. We introduce the concept of the Obligation of Trust (OoT) protocol as a privacy assurance and authorization mechanism that is built upon the XACML standard. The OoT allows two communicating parties to dynamically exchange their privacy and authorization requirements and capabilities, which we term a Notification of Obligation (NoB), as well as their commitments to fulfilling each others requirements, which we term Signed Acceptance of Obligations (SAO). We describe some applicability of these concepts and show how they can be integrated into distributed authorization systems for stricter privacy and confidentiality control.

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Privacy Preserving Trust Authorization Framework Using XACML

Author(s): U.M. Mbanaso, G.S. Cooper, D.W.Chadwick and Seth Proctor | Published date: Mar, 2015

Abstract: Nowadays many organisations share sensitive services through open network systems and this raises the need for an authorization framework that can interoperate even when the parties have no pre-existing relationships. Trust Negotiation is the process used to establish these first relationships, through the transfer of attributes, embedded in digital credentials, between the two parties. However, these attributes may themselves be considered sensitive and so may need protection from disclosure. In some environments, the policies that govern the protected services may also be considered sensitive and their release to arbitrary strangers may leak confidential business information. Thus, the electronic services, the policies that control access to them, and the digital credentials used to gain access may all be sensitive and require access protections. This paper describes how to unify the protection of services, sensitive credentials and policies in a synchronised trustworthy manner. We propose a trust authorization framework (TAF) that builds on the capabilities of XACML to support the bilateral exchange of policies and credentials through trust negotiation. Our framework addresses privacy and trust issues, and considers services, credentials, and authorization policies protected resources whose access is subject to credential proof and trust level validation

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