A SYSTEM which allows users to bolster the security of their data online was demonstrated this week by its designers at Newcastle University.
The SMART project team won the Kantara Initiative’s Identity Deployment of the Year award for its “user-controlled gateway” which enables students to choose their own security preferences with a single authorisation manager, allowing them to retain the necessary security while still sharing data on the web.
The group – which consists of Maciej Machulak, Lukasz Moren, Professor Aad van Moorsel and Maciej Wolniak – is now trialling the system with photos on Picasa and Facebook, but hope to eventually use it to protect personal data, GPS tracking data and financial information held by banks.
Machulak said: “Allowing certain applications to track your location can be extremely useful. For example, if you’re out of town and are looking for a hotel or restaurant then being sent that information directly to your phone application is just what you need.
“But you don’t necessarily want to leave yourself open to anyone who might be wanting to use that kind of information about you. With our system the user could control what types of services should see’ them in cyber space and which should not. This could then filter out applications offering services that might be of use while blocking anyone else from tracking you.
“It’s about taking control of all this information we have about ourselves out there on the web. With the increased amount of services available on the web, the end user is no longer able to easily control access to their distributed data and is often paying the price in both privacy and convenience.
“Our system allows us to share it more freely while retaining control.”
The SMART system was showcased as part of a one-day conference hosted by Newcastle University’s Centre for Cybercrime and Computer Security on Tuesday at the Great North Museum. It featured demonstrations of the work being carried out in areas such as keystroke dynamics, identity theft and contactless credit card skimming.