Safe Computing in the Age of Ubiquitous Connectivity
Robert Gezelter · 2007
The emergence of ubiquitous broadband connectivity has transformed the computing landscape. Telecommuting is no longer limited to those whose work can be done from a fixed home office. Telecommuting has embraced the hundreds of thousands of workers whose day is spent in the field visiting clients and customers. The worker's umbilical to the office is a mobile device with a secure connection provisioned using a fluid, ad-hoc combination of customer accommodations, public Wi-Fi hot-spots, and cellular modems. Ubiquitous high-speed networking brings a new dimension to security and privacy for both parties. There is a need to provide privacy for the telecommuter, wherever they are, and a need for the host to accommodate communications. At the same time, the host must maintain the integrity of their internal network or systems. The well-known Internet standards provide a foundation and a springboard for properly providing robust security in this fluid environment.