Advancing the Security and Reliability of Operational Mobile Networks
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| Publicado en: | ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (2025) |
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| Acceso en línea: | Citation/Abstract Full Text - PDF |
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| Resumen: | As mobile networks have become critical infrastructure underpinning global connectivity, their security and reliability are vital for the functioning of our digital society. However, the rapid evolution of cellular technologies, heterogeneous device ecosystems, and diverse operational scenarios continues to introduce complex and underexplored security challenges. This dissertation addresses these challenges by advancing a service-oriented, system-level approach to mobile network security. Recognizing that modern mobile networks are defined by a convergence of both essential services—including IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based voice and messaging, and Internet Application Services (IAS)—and emerging services such as cellular IoT (CIoT), this work systematically investigates security issues and develops practical, standard-compliant defense solutions across all major service categories. First, the research uncovers significant security gaps in IMS-based communication services, showing that device-side implementations often fail to uphold the protections envisioned by evolving standards. By analyzing protocol behaviors and conducting real-world experiments, the work exposes practical threats such as denial-of-service, SMS source spoofing, and covert media channels, and recommends targeted countermeasures to close the gap between standardization and deployment. Second, the dissertation introduces MPKIX, a novel Mobile-assisted PKIX framework for IAS, leveraging cellular authentication infrastructure to provide privacy-preserving user verification and robust accountability. MPKIX addresses longstanding challenges for both service providers and users, enhancing trust and compliance in mobile-driven digital services. Third, the dissertation conducts a comprehensive empirical study of operational CIoT services, revealing critical vulnerabilities in device identification, billing, and power management. Through experimental attacks—including remote IP/phone number enumeration, data and text spamming, and denial of IoT service—it demonstrates real-world risks with significant financial and operational impact. The proposed mitigations, developed in collaboration with industry, offer actionable improvements for securing large-scale IoT deployments. Collectively, these contributions demonstrate that a holistic, service-oriented perspective—grounded in real-world deployments—can effectively bridge the gap between foundational protocols, network architectures, and user-facing applications. The insights and solutions presented in this dissertation chart a unified path toward more secure, reliable, and accountable mobile networks, benefitting operators, service providers, and billions of end users worldwide. |
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| ISBN: | 9798290912585 |
| Fuente: | ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global |