Tobias Scherner

A multilaterally secure, privacy-friendly location-based service for disaster management and civil protection

Information technology and modern challenges in civil protection create many questions concerning infrastructure security and reliability. In particular, mobile communications and the spread of mobile phones among citizens offer new opportunities of fine-grained disaster management using location based services (LBS). At the same time, location based services are regarded as very privacy-invading, and are regulated in many countries by law. In our article, we analyze the requirements of a LBS based disaster management scenario and propose a solution on how to build a privacy-friendly, multilaterally secure disaster management infrastructure based on robust, mobile phone infrastructures with high reachability of citizens and the possibility to manage disaster specialists.

Enabling Privacy of Real-Life LBS

Privacy in computerized environments is perceived very differently depending on the respective point of view. Often “privacy enhancing technologies” — initiated by the user, as a measure of self-defense — are seen as conflicting with business goals such as cost-efficiency, revenue assurance, and options for further business development based on existing data. This paper presents the design and implementation of an architecture and prototype for privacy-friendly, interoperable location-based services (LBS), based on intermediation of location data via a location middleware component. The aim is to combine privacy-friendliness, efficiency, and market potential. Therefore the security interests of the stakeholders are analyzed and an architecture solution including an intermediary is introduced. Then the prototype implementation (at a mobile operator) is described and the usage of the prototype for a commercial service and product offer by the operator involved in the development is discussed.

Secure mobile notifications of civilians in case of a disaster

Disaster management using mobile telecommunication networks provides a new and attractive possibility to save human lives in emergencies. With this contribution, we present a possible disaster management system based on mobile telecommunication. In order to use such a system in the real world, security requirements such as availability, accountability, integrity and confidentiality have to be ensured by the disaster management system (DMS). We summarize these requirements and propose ways of addressing them with a multilateral secure approach. Using electronic signatures based on SIM-cards, we assure integrity, accountability and confidentiality of the notification messages. We also discuss how availability could be increased.

Von Anforderungen zur verteilten, Privatsphären-respektierenden Infrastruktur. Ein konstruktiver Entwurfsprozess für Location-based Services

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Entwurf und Realisierung von Location-based Services (LBS) sind komplexe Aufgaben wegen der teilweise unterschiedlichen Interessen der Beteiligten. In der Praxis orientiert sich die Ausgestaltung von LBS-Anwendungen oft ausschließlich an der vorhandenen Infrastruktur der Netzanbieter oder an den Endgeräten. Dabei bleiben Rahmenbedingungen nutzerpsychologischer oder wirtschaftlicher Art unberücksichtigt. In unserem Beitrag skizzieren wir einen Prozess, der von der Modellierung der Anforderungen bis zur Spezifikation und Verifikation der Infrastruktur unter interdisziplinären Gesichtspunkten reicht. Dies illustrieren wir am Beispiel der Bevölkerungswarnung im Katastrophenfall.