ConSec: Context-Aware Security Framework for Smart Spaces

A smart space is a ubiquitous computing environment, where computing devices are spread and embedded in it. The smart space is aware of context. It senses and reacts based on the changes in the surrounding natural environment, e.g., temperature. It depends mainly on sensors that capture the situation-al context information from the physical world. The dynamism, sensitivity, privacy and availability of context information, make the smart space and its sensors more vulnerable to attacks. Smart spaces demand additional security requirements such as trusting context providers and context receivers, protecting context information from disclosure and manipulation. In this paper, we address some security issues that face context-aware smart spaces. We present a secured design that authenticates sensors(or context providers) and context receivers, and ensures the integrity of context information until it reaches the receivers. In addition, it provides secure communications between the components of a context-aware smart space.