Mobile Communications Security Research at CSIR-MDS

The explosive growth of mobile communications technology and services in emerging markets has resulted that access to information resources and storage of sensitive information using mobile phones is increasing. At the same time the capabilities of mobile terminals and bandwidth of mobile networks is improving. To protect the information stored in mobile phones and to make it possible for mobile phone owners to utilize the vast amount of different mobile ICT services, it is important that security mechanisms with scalable encryption and authentication keys is available. The need for such security mechanisms is increasing proportionally with the explosive growth in mobile wireless communications. South Africa as one of the progressive emerging markets needs to address mobile security issues with the aim to develop the mobile enterprise and consumer services sector. Therefore CSIR modelling and digital sciences department, as a main stakeholder in the mobile ICT technologies and services in South Africa, have started a mobile communications security research group in collaboration with research institutes locally and abroad.