Communication-Centric Security Models for Mobile Digital Learning Systems

Abstract

The fast penetration of mobile digital learning systems has further enhanced high dependency on the heterogeneous wireless communication network, which poses strong security issues pertaining mobility, dynamic nature of traffic and continuity of real-time sessions. Traditional security infrastructures are largely application-oriented, and take on a static form, which cannot be suitable in both latency sensitive and mobility-based learning environment. The paper suggests a communication-based security model of mobile digital learning systems, where the security enforcement is closely coupled with dynamics of the communication layer. An adaptive communication algorithm that is security-conscious is created to dynamically change the decisions of authentication, encryption and secure handover decisions in response to network conditions, mobility patterns and perceived threat levels. The suggested model is tested with the use of extensive simulation with different learner densities, mobility speeds and attack cases. The evaluation of performance is based on a set of security metrics comprising of authentication success rate, attack mitigation rate, and secure session establishment time, and communication metrics, such as end-to-end latency, throughput, and packet delivery ratio, and handover delay. The comparison of the results with the results of a static and rule-based security schemes proves that the proposed approach is significantly better in improving the communication reliability and security robustness, with low latency and manageable overhead. These results emphasise the power of the communication-based security model as a comparable and viable approach to secure mobile digital learning in upcoming wireless networks of the next generation.