Mobile Cloud Systems and Services Paper Example

Introduction to Research

DomainMobile cloud computing refers to the use of cloud computing to deliver various applications to the mobile services. The mobile application can easily be deployed to mobile devices even in remote areas. The success of mobile cloud computing depends on the speed, flexibility as the development tools used. The users also have the opportunity to build or revise the mobile cloud application using the cloud services. The development of mobile cloud computing is associated with the need to access and use application that was not supported by the cloud computing services and systems previously. The mobile cloud refers to the internet-based data, Internet-based application and the related services that can be accessed through the mobile devices such as smartphones, computers, and tablets.

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Research Question

The following research questions form the backbone of this study.

• Is it secure to deploy MCC in the mobile program?
• Can the service providers ensure security for the mobile programs used?
• What is required for the development of MCC?
• What the requirements for the MCC development and what is their cost?

Literature Review

Mobile cloud systems have grown faster and the technologies supporting mobile cloud computing have developed faster because of the flexibility associated with movie devices and the high technology acceptances among the mobile users (Mollah, Azad & Vasilakos, 2017). Over the last ten years, mobile cloud computing features have increased because the mobile cloud facilitates faster development of the mobile apps and the shared resources used by the mobile apps. Secondly, mobile cloud computing has the potential to support various development approaches and devices. Mobile cloud computing has also helped in improving reliability with information that is backed up in the cloud. According to Gupta (2011), mobile cloud computing is preferred because the application tends to use very few device resources because the bulk o the resources are cloud supported. On the other hand, Hoi (2017) argues that the mobile cloud computing is gaining traction because the mobile devices are routed to the services that are delivered on the apps API architecture.

Enterprises around the world are currently adopting mobile cloud services because of the data storage and processing capabilities. A retailer with very strong online presences have turned to mobile cloud commuting but the question is: how secure is a mobile cloud, and mobile cloud system (Mollah, Azad & Vasilakos, 2017). The desire to interact with customer round the clock means that companies and individualized would increasingly adopt mobile cloud (Akherfi, Gerndt & Harroud, 2018). Here application delivery controller that is currently being used whereby companies have in place proxies in front of their application to encrypt the traffic. The main mobile cloud security issues include security threats such as malware, privacy and authenticating access. While criminals are increasingly targeting the mobile devices using a wide range of malware whether email or SMS, hackers are using the mobile services to piggyback their attacks.

Protecting the Mobile Phones from Malware

According to Dinh, et al (2013), there are mainly two approaches that can be used to protect the mobile phones from malware. For example, Fernando, Loke, & Rahayu (2013) propose that keeping the security update for both email and SMS because most emails are accessed over the mobile phones. The second challenge is that the mobile phone is used to access the internet websites and it is not easy to determine if the website is free from malware. Over the PC it is easy to force user back through a proxy, but over the mobile phones that is quite a challenge. Therefore Reddy (2016), proposes centrality policy and protection that apply to both email and website access.

According to Asrani (2013, pp. 606-609), most organizations have turned to put in host-based security, never the less, in the light of data protection acts, it is not easy to ensure that data privacy is upheld. While all the users are expected to use password protection for their devices, it is not easy to force every user to have password protection on their devices. Nevertheless, there are architectures and algorithms that can be used to enhance mobile cloud security (Shahid & Sharif, 2015). In the last five years, there have been proposals to develop an encryption that is automatic lay deployed to all mobile clouds. Other proposals include remote disablement and remote wiping capabilities.

Architecture and Mobile Cloud Service Delivery Models

Currently, there are several cloud service delivery models. The most commonly used cloud service delivery models in mobile computing include PaaS and SaaS. Both Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) has security issues. The PaaS model security issues include the structured query language related security issues; they are also faced with application programming interface security issues. On the other hand, the SaaS model is faced with security issues such as data security, web application vulnerability. The security issues facing the SaaS model can be managed through vulnerability scanning.

Mobile Cloud Security Service Layers

The mobile cloud security services are quite unique because the mobile ecosystem is quite distributed. There are three different layers in the mobile security service layer include the backbone layer, the infrastructure layer, the application, and the platform layer. The backbone layer includes the security surveillance on the cloud physical systems (Shahzad & Hussain, 2013). The backbone layer is responsible for monitoring the servers as the machines connected with the mobile devices on the cloud infrastructure. On the other hand, the infrastructure layer is charged with monitoring the virtual machines in the cloud. Other activities such as Storage

Verification, VM migration, Cloud Service Monitoring, VM Isolation, Risk Evaluation, and Audits all happen in the infrastructure layer to help in securing the cloud hosts services. Finally, the application layer is where user management is carried out in this layer to secure cloud host services (Akherfi, Gerndt & Harroud, 2018). Application layer performs activities such as user management, key management, authentication, authorization, encryption, and data integration.

Mobile cloud security challenges

The mobile cloud security is designed to improve convenience and efficiency for users. The mobile cloud enables the users to access data from the cloud remotely. The mobile must, therefore, be linked with the cloud computing resources. Mobile cloud computing is limited by the characteristics of the mobile devices. For example, the mobile devices rely on cellular networks and the wireless networks. The limitations of the mobile phones make it difficult to design and programs application and deploy the apps on mobile and other distributed devices. Other limitations of the mobile cloud services include low bandwidth, latency problems, availability of desired services, heterogeneity, and limited resources.

In the mobile cloud computing ecosystem, the limitation f the mobile cloud computing affect the ease of accessing the cloud. The quality of wireless communication, the types or quality of application used to access the cloud as some apps may be loaded with virus and the support that the mobile get from the cloud computing resources to the mobiles are also factors to be considered. The mobile phones or other mobile devices are resources constrained. Their limited computing capability and the energy resources required to operate the mobile devices play a major role in limiting the mobile as a cloud device.

Discussion/Analysis

Is it secure to deploy MCC in the mobile program?

Mobile cloud systems are as secure as the security measures taken by the mobile cloud users. Based on the research outcomes, the security breaches and issues with every mobile cloud user. The researcher found that data ownership, privacy, and data security are the main security breaches facing the mobile cloud system. While cloud computing can provide the users with facility for storing personal data and all the purchased digital media including eBook, and audio/ visual files remotely, the cloud systems are as good as the cloud society architecture deployed. The is at risk of losing access to all the purchased media. For example, MCC relies on the context information especially the location and user profiles to determine the copyright owner of the data stored in the cloud. The security of the mobile cloud systems as the security capability. It is secure to deploy the MCC in the mobile programs if adequate measures such as security architectures are optimized for security. Whether it is a private cloud, community cloud, public cloud or hybrid cloud, it is important to note that authentication, authorization, and accounting can only be enhanced by employing a highly responsive cloud security system. The security for mobile uses can be enhanced by using the mobile society software such as MacAfee, AVG, and Kaspersky among others. These programs can help in detecting and blocking the security threats such as viruses, worms, and other forms of malicious codes. It is also important to note that apart from the malicious detection software, it is also important to have in place software for reducing on-device resources consumption and the on-device software complexity that might be used as a loophole by cyber criminals such as advanced persistent threats.

Can the service providers ensure security for the mobile programs used?

Service providers can secure the security for the mobile programs being used but their capability in ensuring mobile security is limited to the usage characteristics of the mobile systems. Services provider may provide security patches but the mobile users have to ensure that the usage behaviors are aligned with the security goals. The services providers may not be around when the users are using their mobile phones and cannot constantly keep tabs of the users. Some security breaches occur as a result of poor usage ethics. It is, therefore, the duty of the mobile cloud users to ensure that the security software's in their phone are constantly updated and their access control is secured to prevent the mobile phones from being accessed by u unauthorized users. Additionally, the users should ensure that their mobile devices are secure because, in the event that their devices fall into the hands of hackers, their mobile devices can be hacked by myriads of another strategy.

What is required for the development of MCC?

Developing Mobile cloud infrastructures application may be quite challenging consideri...