On privacy in mobile voice communication networks

Abstract

The introduction of mobile communications has undoubtedly altered our physical and social world. Like the Internet, it has changed the way we interact with each other allowing for communication using a variety of communication mediums by means of a magnitude of interactive mobile devices. The context, content, persons communicating, situation and timing all have a varying degree of influence on the sensitivity of information being shared. The individual's awareness of exposure of their private information on the Internet has filtered through into the mobile communications space. It is commonly held in current mobile communication network literature that as privacy-sensitive information travels through a network, it may be exposed to privacy infringement at various stages along its journey. Much of the concern from the individual's perspective, though, stems from a fear of the unknown. In the presence of these threats and vulnerabilities it is justified to wonder whether current mobile communications networks (and indeed future networks) provides sufficient privacy for users with very valuable information to communicate. In this thesis, I develop a systematic approach to identifying areas of privacy concern in a current mobile communication networks in an effort to outline mobile communication privacy principles and how applicable they are in Next Generation Networks. With a privacy stance, the objective of my work is through technical examination and sometimes theoretical undertaking to identify acceptable solutions which restrict the flow of private information and ultimately confirm, through privacy analyses, the benefits gained in doing so. The results show that, given the current situation and technological configuration, there are commonalities which extend beyond a mere concern within a mobile communications network's requirement for privacy enhancement. In a perfect world, the idea is to articulate towards a system of privacy by design rather than as an uttered afterthought. It is no longer inconceivable to think there is an opportunity to deliver a privacy-conscious network, if careful consideration is given to all parties and aspects that govern a mobile communications network and the correct privacy-enhancing technologies are administered correctly. Throughout my thesis, although each privacy solution is segmented and may have a specific privacy application, the results attested contribute largely to a converged prospectus for privacy-aware future generation communication networks. The significance of this lies in the study of past privacy pitfalls in order to better manage the potential for future privacy problems. The rationalisation is if privacy principles are identified (in existing networks) and adhered and applied to (in next generation networks), then we converge towards a network infrastructure that possesses a desirable level of privacy protection.