A Framework for User-Centred and Context-Aware Identity Management in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (UCIM)

The area of MANets (Mobile Ad-hoc Networks) is still in its infancy in the research community, but it plays a vital role surrounded by the growing trend of mobile technology for business as well as private and governmental uses. The concept of ubiquitous/pervasive computing is almost intrinsically tied to wireless communications. Emerging next-generation wireless networks enable innovative service access in every situation. Apart from many remote services, proximity services (context-awareness) will also be widely available. People currently rely on numerous forms of identities to access these services. The inconvenience of possessing and using these identities creates significant security vulnerability, especially from network and device point of view in MANet environments. The emergent notion of ubiquitous computing also makes it possible for mobile devices to communicate and provide services via networks connected in an ad-hoc manner. Digital identities are at the heart of many contemporary strategic innovations for crime prevention and detection, internal and external security, business models etc. This requires disclosing personal information and the applicability of contextual information as well as allowing users to be in control of their identities. In this paper we discuss the requirements for the development of an innovative, easy-to-use identity management mechanism within MANet environments. We convey various possibilities, challenges, and research questions evolving in these areas. The issues of context-awareness, making use of partial identities as a way of user identity protection, and providing a better way for node identification are addressed. We also examine the area of user-centricity for MANets together with its security issues and implications. We propose a framework for MANets that makes the flow of partial identities explicit, gives users control over such identities based on the respective situation and context, and creates a balance between convenience and privacy