An Overview of Distributed Firewalls and Controllers Intended for Mobile Cloud Computing

Mobile cloud computing (MCC) is a representation of the interaction between cloud computing and mobile devices, reshaping the utilisation of technology for consumers and businesses. This level of mobility and decentralisation of devices in MCC necessitates a highly secured framework to facilitate it. This literature review on distributed firewalls and controllers for mobile cloud computing reveals the critical need for a security framework tailored to the dynamic and decentralised nature of MCC. This study further emphasises the importance of integrating distributed firewalls with central controllers to address the unique security challenges in MCC, such as nomadic device behaviour and resource allocation optimisation. Additionally, it highlights the significance of Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) in improving data security and ensuring compliance within mobile cloud applications. This review also addresses specific research questions related to security concerns, scalable framework development, and the effectiveness of distributed firewall and controller systems in MCC. It explores the complexities involved in merging Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualisation (NFV), and CASB into a cohesive system, focusing on the need to resolve interoperability issues and maintain low latency and high throughput while balancing performance across distributed firewalls and controllers. The review also points to the necessity of privacy-preserving methods within CASB to uphold privacy standards in MCC. Furthermore, it identifies the integration of NFV and SDN as crucial for enhancing security and performance in MCC environments, and stresses the importance of future research directions, such as the incorporation of machine learning and edge computing, to further improve the security and efficiency of MCC systems. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first to comprehensively examine the integration of these advanced technologies within the context of MCC.