Cellular Network Security

Network limitations of cellular networks present a number of security issues. As cellular networked are scaled up in their capacity, they become more complex and deplorers need to be extra careful while fixing security loopholes so as not to create others. Networks function well when all users can be authenticated. Cellular networks face a burden of authenticating a large number of users. Batch authentication of users is not yet possible and each user is authenticated individually every time they access the network. In addition, of authenticating every point of instance, wireless cellular networks have to be interconnected to other cellular networks to facilitate communication across borders. The requirement brings up additional authentication tasks that require a very robust and powerful system. Failure to ensure that the system is robust and well guarded allows attacker to have anonymous access. In the event of a network compromise, network administrators are unable to verify the source of attack. Authentication problems also become national security issues when they face a national wireless network. Such a network carries a considerable number of important information such as financial transactions and national security sensitive information.

 

Cellular networks offer a variety of services. Network subscribers expect that their messages get to their intended recipients without any non-agreed alteration. When there are errors in the network because of interference or non-authorized access, the integrity of the information passing through the network is questioned. Cellular networks must be secure to ensure that conversations are confidential. Eavesdropping abilities should only be conferred to authorized agents in accordance with the law. Cellular devices are now common tools of conversation; as a result, cellular networks handle a lot of sensitive information that should not be allowed to fall in the hands of unintended persons. Such persons might use the information to conduct criminal offences such as blackmailing the conversing parties (Vacca, 2009).

 

Cellular networks are accessed by cellular devices. The devices are supposed to be restricted on the amount of data they can submit or extract from the system. In addition to authentication, devices have to be restricted to the levels they can access within the system. Such restriction may be realized through used of different technologies or cryptography software. It is important that even with proper expertise, devices failing to meet a certain technological requirement are unable to access certain limits in a system. Proper access control ensures that the cellular network system is secure (Bragg, Rodhes-Ousley & Strassberg, 2004).

 

Individual cellular devices are the Achilles’ feet in the network. Vulnerability of one device may compromise the whole network. Cellular phones and other mobile devices such as netbooks and pads that access cellular networks have powerful operating systems. The processing power of such devices now matches that of desktop systems. Previously, such devices only handled end user processing task. With the increased processing power, these devices are able to handle stand-alone processing tasks that cannot be regulated by the network system. The devices use Java Based systems or run their own operating systems. In the event that these systems are compromised, for example being attacked by computer Viruses and Trojans, then they are able to send malicious data into the network system or anonymously obtain sensitive data from the network. Such vulnerabilities when exploited by attackers may be disastrous to cellular networks companies and can destroy a whole network system (Xu, Wood, Trappe & Zhang, 2004).

 

In addition to the vulnerabilities presented by powerful devices, cellular networks use and offer Web Services to their subscribers.  Web Service as a component provides functions that subscriber’s access via the web. Use of the web in accessing these services opens up the network to security threats associated with the standard HTTP protocol. These threats include denial of service attacks and viruses. Cellular networks are now advancing to use their system available resources more efficiently. The network companies are also facing completion pressure to become more innovative in their product offerings. To avoid business extinction, companies are moving their cellular networks to become Internet Protocol (IP) based. IP based systems allocate addresses to each access point in the network. A user’s location therefore becomes searchable since the user is associated with the access point they use to access the system. Such a possibility of locating a cellular device compromises user location privacy (Maxim & Pollino, 2002).

 

Other than becoming threats indirectly, malware and viruses also offer direct security threats. The wireless networks system is structured in a similar way as other computer system. Increased processing capacity also increases the artificial intelligence level of the system. As the system become more intelligent, they are relied upon to make automatic decisions based on the given parameters. Corrupt system software results to errors across the network. Network wide errors, resulting from malfunctioning, caused by viruses or malware cause unimaginable problems. For example, they can arise to a large-scale denial of service attack; secondly, they can affect the billing system of the cellular network resulting to losses or loss of subscribers because of overbilling.

 

Web services allow subscribers to download content from the web and such downloads are sometimes infected with spyware and adware. These compromised downloads bring up a security issue since they enhance the other security issues aforementioned. Other than acting as vulnerability points, download services raise copyright issues on digital files. Download and upload services offered by cellular networks allow subscribers to upload and download digital files in any format such as images, music, games and books. Users might download or upload unauthorized copies therefore committing the unlawful act of piracy.

 

There is need to ensure that only device owners use the devices to access the network. Devices are uniquely identified and in the case of phone, each subscriber is assigned a unique number. When other persons other than the device owner use the device to access the network, then the device owner is charged for a service not personally used. In addition to unwanted charges, unauthorized device use may bring about criminal liabilities when the unauthorized user engages in unlawful acts such as spamming and stalking. Therefore, cellular networks need to be able to disable devices remotely when owners loose them. Other than unauthorized access to the network, unauthorized users of devices get access to personal information like emails, phone numbers and other documents. The remote disabling should be able to make the device deny access to such personal information (Bragg, Rodhes-Ousley & Strassberg, 2004).