An authentication framework for mobile device in corporate networks :

Abstract

This study was envisioned to identify the evolving mobile security challenges, and threats brought about by Mobile device authentication onto corporate networks. The researcher preferred corporate networks because mobile devices are in extensive use by corporate employees together with clients and hence the challenges, threats, and attacks would be more pronounced and frequent requiring, outstanding attention, and solution. Most corporate organizations have their branches in Eastern Uganda, the reason why it was selected a case study to give a representative sample. The challenges, threats, and attacks were found using a questionnaire administered to 10 purposively selected corporate organizations with a reasonable number of employees and improved systems. Other existing frameworks were reviewed in order to find out how they tackled mobile device threats and authentication challenges in a corporate networked environment. A number of mobile device security frameworks were examined and improved to include additional security features such as advanced device access to the corporate network using Radius server security attributes available to offer multifactor authentication, malware detection and prevention, mobile device user categorization, and access control to servers, and rogue access points by disabling Hotspots applications in mobile devices. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Version 3.1 was adapted to quantify, evaluate, and assess the severity of systems’ security vulnerabilities in the performance of the MDA framework. The MDA framework was tested and validated using simulation techniques (Riverbed modeler version 17.5), which involved introducing the framework to a mobile Dos assault, putting preventive measures in place to handle the attack, and then comparing the simulation results. Various aspects of network performance were tested on corporate servers that would be targeted. The study findings from corporate organizations indicated that organizations had few (i.e. software antivirus and firewall protection) or no measures to address the evolving mobile device security challenges and attacks they experienced and hence MDA framework would be very useful if physically implemented.