There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Methods and systems are provided for efficient handover of a media session between heterogeneous Internet Protocol (IP) networks. A mobile device with Internet access can operate a software program to communicate with a corresponding node. The corresponding node may access the Internet through either a Network Address Translation (NAT) router or a firewall. The mobile device establishes a media session with a corresponding node via the transmission of a first media stream and receipt of a second media stream, and a media control channel can optionally be implemented. The mobile device can acquire Internet access through a second IP address, and packets routed between the second IP address and the Internet may traverse a NAT router. The mobile device can evaluate the type of NAT at the second IP address from a stored Local Area Network (LAN) profile. A software routine can determine that handover of the media session from the first IP address to the second IP address is preferred. A software routine can determine efficient handover procedures according to Network handover rules. The mobile device may begin transmitting a third media stream to the corresponding node and the corresponding node can transmit a fourth media stream to the second IP address. A media control channel is optionally supported.

Efficient handover of media communications in heterogeneous IP networks using LAN profiles and network handover rules

Review: An overview of vertical handover techniques: Algorithms, protocols and tools

Methods and systems are provided for efficient handover of a media session between heterogeneous Internet Protocol (IP) networks. A mobile device with Internet access can operate a software program to communicate with a corresponding node. The corresponding node may access the Internet through a firewall which may include Network Address Translation (NAT)-routing functionality. The mobile device establishes a media session with a corresponding node via the transmission of a first media stream and receipt of a second media stream, and a media-control channel can optionally be implemented. The mobile device can acquire Internet access through a second IP address, and packets routed between the second IP address and the Internet may traverse a firewall. The mobile device can evaluate a set of network parameters at the second IP address from a stored Local Area Network (LAN) profile. A software routine can (i) evaluate that handover of the media session from the first IP address to the second IP address is preferred and (ii) select an efficient handover procedure according to handover procedure rules.

Efficient handover of media communications in heterogeneous IP networks using handover procedure rules and media handover relays

IoT survey: An SDN and fog computing perspective

The number of industrial applications relying on the Machine to Machine (M2M) services exposed from physical world has been increasing in recent years Such M2M services enable communication of devices with the core processes of companies However, there is a big challenge related to complexity and to application-specific M2M systems called “vertical silos” This paper focuses on reviewing the technologies of M2M service networks and discussing approaches from the perspectives of M2M information and services, M2M communication and M2M security Finally, a discussion on technologies and approaches potentially enabling future autonomic M2M service networks are provided According to our conclusions, it is seen that clear definition of the architectural principles is needed to solve the “vertical silo” problem and then, proceeding towards enabling autonomic capabilities for solving complexity problem appears feasible Several areas of future research have been identified, eg, autonomic information based services, optimization of communications with limited capability devices, real-time messaging, creation of trust and end to end security, adaptability, reliability, performance, interoperability, and maintenance

A Survey on M2M Service Networks

This paper provides experimental measurement results of network mobility (NEMO) based vertical handover of the mobile ad hoc network between WLAN and 3G interfaces. The tests are executed in a laboratory environment during VoIP calls, video streaming and using ping as a test application. Especially, the end to end delays between the static network node and ad hoc network nodes, when vertical handover is happening between 3G and WLAN interfaces has been measured and analysed.

Vertical handover during a VoIP call in hybrid mobile ad hoc networks

We present a new situation awareness visualisation tool, the Events Visualisation Environment (EVE), and its internal events aggregator module, the Advanced Data Aggregation Module (ADAM), which have been successfully used during the most recent cyber exercises (i.e., Locked Shields and Crossed Swords) organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (NATO CCDCOE). The functional requirements for EVE and ADAM were based on the unique cyber exercise needs for analysis and game development, and were finalised after we had completed a state-of-the-art review to look for suitable tools that could meet our requirements. The main purpose of EVE is to visualise security alerts on any given network map. ADAM, the supporting events aggregation module, processes, combines and filters incoming notifications from various types of sensors, and makes them ready to be visualised by EVE. EVE offers an intuitive and real-time visualisation that is easily understandable at first glance by both technical and non-technical staff. It also allows for recording and playback, and considers attack types, game phases, attack sources, and targets. The information required by EVE is obtained from different sensors operating on the network. EVE allows for a very simplified communication channel with them, based on JSON formatted messages sent over an HTTP POST request. The sensors used during the cyber exercises to test the tools are also described here. The tools have provided an enhanced situation awareness experience over previous cyber exercises organised by NATO CCDCOE, and can be used in other exercises or, more generally, in real-life, production-ready environments. EVE (with ADAM included) is published as an open source tool, which is freely available on the GitHub page of the NATO CCDCOE.

EVE and ADAM: Situation Awareness Tools for NATO CCDCOE Cyber Exercises

An ever increasing number of interconnected embedded devices, or Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, are changing the way we live, work and play. M2M systems as a whole are typically characterized by the diversity in both the type of device and type of network access technology employed, and such systems are often still today task-specific and built for just one specific application. Smart lighting, remote monitoring and control of all kinds of consumer devices and industrial equipment, safety and security monitoring devices and smart health and fitness products, exemplify this revolution of intercommunicating machines. However, the differences in communication technologies and data formats among such devices and systems are leading to a huge complexity explosion problem and a strongly fragmented market, with no true interoperability. Due to these problems, the full potential of M2M technology has yet to be fulfilled. In this paper, we examine the suitability of the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) and experiment with its potential to rise to the challenge of machine-to-machine communications and meet the needs of modern pervasive applications. Experimental implementations and some proof-of-concept solutions are also presented.

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Harnessing XMPP for Machine-to-Machine Communications & Pervasive Applications

Security for Android smartphone platforms is a challenge arising in part from their openness. We analyse the security objectives of two distinct envisioned public safety and security mobile network systems utilising the Android platform. The analysis is based on an industrial risk analysis activity. In addition, we propose initial heuristics for security objective decomposition aimed at security metrics definition. Systematically defined and applied security metrics can be used for informed risk-driven security decision-making, enabling higher security effectiveness.

Teemu Väisänen

Papers

A Survey on M2M Service Networks

Vertical handover during a VoIP call in hybrid mobile ad hoc networks

EVE and ADAM: Situation Awareness Tools for NATO CCDCOE Cyber Exercises

Harnessing XMPP for Machine-to-Machine Communications & Pervasive Applications

Toward risk-driven security measurement for Android smartphone platforms