Security and Privacy in Mobile Social Network and its Applications

如今，世界各地的人们越来越多地转向社交媒体，行业也开始接受它来改善和扩大他们的业务。社交媒体代表了一个虚拟社区，在这个社区里，有共同兴趣的人，比如有特定的爱好或活动，可以相互交流和社交。因此，形成了在线社交网络（或在线兴趣社区），将其成员团结起来，并提供共同兴趣的机会。**近年来，社会网络的概念也从信息和通信技术的角度出现，目的是提供高效的通信平台和计算系统，为各种社会网络应用程序提供数据服务。当它还考虑到用户当前的社会背景（例如，他们的物理位置）时，这个模型尤其有效。最近，随着智能手机和平板电脑等移动设备的普及，一种名为“移动社交网络”（mobile social network，简称MSN）的移动版社交网络正在蓬勃发展；MSN的特点是使用无线通信技术和智能手机。它给我们带来了一个无处不在、无所不能的交流平台，帮助我们比以往任何时候都更好地保持联系；然而，尽管MSN及其应用带来了巨大的好处，但MSN仍然面临着许多安全和隐私方面的挑战。其中一个挑战是如何保护msn中蓬勃发展的位置服务中的位置隐私。这些服务允许移动用户利用他们的位置信息访问附近的一些基于位置的服务，或者与附近的其他移动用户共享信息。**拟议的研究旨在解决这些挑战，特别是通过考虑自治和分散的MSN及其应用，这在以前报道的研究中并不是一个主要考虑因素。拟议的研究还将帮助加拿大建立和加强其在全球信息技术（IT）领域的领导地位；它将允许新的技术和服务，并为移动计算创造新的创新方向。因此，还可以培育和设计新的商业模式和收入流。**通过该计划培训的HQP将配备安全技术，以及无线通信和移动计算；这些都是在当今移动计算时代取得成功的关键，并将有助于确保加拿大IT行业的繁荣未来。

Nowadays, people across the world are increasingly turning to social media, and industries are also starting to embrace it to improve and broaden their businesses. Social media represents a virtual community in which people with a shared interest, such as a specific hobby or activity, can interact and socialize with each other. As such, online social networks (or online communities of interest) are formed, uniting their members and providing opportunities of mutual interest. **The concept of the social network has, in recent years, also been emerging from information and communication technology perspectives in order to provide efficient communication platforms and computing systems to deliver data services to a variety of social networking applications. This model is especially effective when it also takes a user's current social context into consideration, for example, their physical locations. Recently, with the pervasiveness of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, a mobile version of the social network known as Mobile Social Network (MSN), is booming; MSN is characterized by the use of wireless communication techniques and smartphones. It brings us a ubiquitous and omnipotent communication platform, helping us to stay connected better than ever; however, despite the tremendous benefits of MSN and its applications, MSN still faces many security and privacy challenges. One such challenge is protecting location privacy in booming location-based services in MSNs. These services allow mobile users to utilize their location information to access some location-based services nearby, or share information with other mobile users in close proximity to them.**The proposed research is envisioned to address these challenges, particularly, by considering autonomous and decentralized MSN and its applications, which has not been a major consideration in previously reported studies. The proposed research will also help Canada to establish and reinforce its leadership in Information Technology (IT) around the world; it will allow for new technologies and service, and create new innovative directions in mobile computing. As such, new business models and revenue streams can also be fostered and devised.**The HQP trained through the program will be equipped with security technologies, as well as wireless communications and mobile computing; these are crucial for success in today's era of mobile computing, and will help to ensure a prosperous future for the Canadian IT industry.