CAREER: Securing Broadband Cellular Data Networks

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Cellular networks are part of our critical information infrastructure.However, the upcoming broadband cellular data networks and mobiledevices have unique vulnerabilities that have attracted littleresearch attention. The PI proposes a five-year plan forunderstanding the inherent vulnerabilities and developing technologiesfor improving the security of cellular data networks and mobiledevices. Particularly, the PI will focus on the following uniquevulnerabilities in cellular data systems: (1) Scarce battery power inmobile devices; (2) Expensive wireless bandwidth; (3) Scarce wirelessresources shared among benign and malicious mobile devices. Toaddress these vulnerabilities, the PI proposes a comprehensivesolution consisting of three components: (1) On mobile devices,designing and enforcing access control policies on power consumption;(2) At mobile switching centers (MSC), designing and deployingfirewalls configurable by individual mobile devices but verifiable bythe MSC; (3) At base stations, detecting malicious mobile devices thatabuse shared resources.This project will have direct, visible impact on improving thesecurity of broadband cellular data networks. The discoveredvulnerabilities and proposed defense mechanisms will help cellularproviders secure their networks proactively before the adversariesdeliver devastating attacks. Experiences gained in this project willhelp guide the security design of future cellular data networks. Thenovel analysis, simulation, and evaluation techniques developed inthis project will be valuable to teachers and researchers inin security, networking, and programming languages.The proposed education mission is to train students to become capablesecurity researchers or practitioners through classroom teaching, real-life problem solving, and research advising.