Secure mobile nodes in federated databases

Abstract

Mobile computers pose special security risks since information contained on them can more easily be compromised. However, availability of information at the location where the mobile computer is to be used often outweighs the disadvantages. This paper proposes an approach to limit the risks of information compromise by caching only that information on the mobile computer that the user of the mobile computer is authorised to access. Mechanisms to manage transfer of such information are described. The mechanisms that are proposed are described as extensions to federated databases. In particular, they are intended for federated databases where the access control policies of the different sites may differ. The mechanisms that transfer information to and from the mobile node use the different security policies to determine what information can be transferred and how it is transferred.