Secure Wireless Application Programming (SWAP) for laptops and handheld devices

The SWAP project aims to develop and implement a ligthweight set of protocols for secure communications over wireless links. This SWAP framework should offer message privacy, integrity, access control, and key management services to client/server applicat ions communicating over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GSM links. Typical clients are handheld devices such as smartphones, PDAs, and laptops, while typical servers are stationary PCs and workstations. The client portions of the SWAP framework are to be based on available Java technologies such as Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME), the upcoming JSR-177 Security and Trust Services API, and the new Java JSR-82 API for Bluetooth communications. The framework portions for laptop clients and stationary servers will be based on Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) and Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), as well as the existing Java Security framework for JSE and J2EE. To develop an efficient SWAP framework, it is important to determine the limitations handheld devices and wireless network technologies impose on the application layer. During phase one of the project the project members will therefore develop small programs to test different aspects of wireless Java programming on real phones and laptops supporting wireless communica tions. The SWAP framework will then be designed during phase two. The framework will be based on cryptographic techniques and protocols where most of the computation-intensive processing and storage demanding operations can be carried out by the server. T he SWAP framework is to be implemented during phase three. Releases of the framework will be made available on the web. Since experience has shown that it is difficult to design a good security framework, the project members will use existing technology and cryptographic protocols whenever possible. In addition, the members will work closely with researchers in the areas of cryptography, network security, and program development.