Computing Reviews
Today's Issue Hot Topics Search Browse Recommended My Account Log In
Review Help
Search
Big data privacy preservation for cyber-physical systems
Pan M., Wang J., Errapotu S., Zhang X., Ding J., Han Z., Springer International Publishing, New York, NY, 2019. 84 pp. Type: Book (978-3-030133-69-6)
Date Reviewed: Nov 11 2020

This monograph gives an introduction to cyber-physical systems (CPS). These are systems that are controlled by computers and influence objects in the physical world. Areas discussed include spectrum trading (where specific radio frequencies are purchased and sold in real time); power grid systems that are controlled by electrical power companies; the caching of information; and the collocation of resources in a cloud environment.

The authors point out that consumers of these systems need to preserve their privacy. For example, electrical data usage in a single house can tell somebody private details about a family’s living patterns based on the amount of power that is consumed during the day. There is a need to maintain a level of privacy for individual consumers by adding random noise to the power consumption record.

Another reason for using some privacy preservation method in a cyber-physical environment is to ensure some procedure for limiting resources when an emergency demand response is required. For example, a heat wave could necessitate the reduction of electrical consumption, and a power company could use a price descending clock auction to reduce power consumption by collocated server farms. In this case, bids by server farm owners would be encrypted and submitted to the auctioneer.

This is a highly technical book. Chapter 4, “Optimization for Utility Providers with Privacy Preservation of Users’ Energy Profile,” is a good example of its technical nature. An electrical company that uses this technology has the ability to collect some fairly intimate details about a residence. The data obtained from the electrical company is aggregated and noise is introduced to the data so that the distribution of real demand is ambiguous. The goal is to predict energy use by employing a model that protects consumer privacy, but also allows a power company to assess whether additional resources are needed for anticipated power use. In chapter 4, a series of 33 equations are used to demonstrate how this is accomplished. For example, somebody who reads this chapter has enough information to design a computer program that could accomplish the goal of predicting energy use while maintaining consumer privacy.

Although published in 2019, many of the book’s concepts concern issues that are relevant to a COVID-19 and climate change environment, where resources are scarce and individual privacy needs to be maintained. COVID-19 has affected many people’s work/home patterns, and this presents challenges to power and network companies that need to provide resources to meet these changed demands. This becomes more complicated with the interaction of COVID-19 and changes in the climate environment.

This monograph gives a brief overview of various areas that would benefit from cyber-physical data privacy. These areas include smart metering, intelligent transportation, healthcare, sensor/data aggregation, and crowd sensing. It is written for technical readers who may wish to predict CPS energy use while maintaining individual consumer privacy.

Reviewer:  W. E. Mihalo Review #: CR147105 (2104-0063)
Bookmark and Share
  Featured Reviewer  
 
Security and Protection (C.2.0 ... )
 
 
Decision Support (H.4.2 ... )
 
 
Privacy (K.4.1 ... )
 
 
General (C.0 )
 
Would you recommend this review?
yes
no
Other reviews under "Security and Protection": Date
Introduction to data security and controls (2nd ed.)
Edward R. I., QED Information Sciences, Inc., Wellesley, MA, 1991. Type: Book (9780894353864)
Aug 1 1992
Security for computer networks: an introduction to data security in teleprocessing and electronic funds transfer
Davies D., Price W., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1984. Type: Book (9780471900634)
Oct 1 1985
The development and proof of a formal specification for a multilevel secure system
Glasgow J., Macewen G. ACM Transactions on Computer Systems 5(2): 151-184, 1987. Type: Article
Oct 1 1987
more...

E-Mail This Printer-Friendly
Send Your Comments
Contact Us
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.   Copyright 1999-2024 ThinkLoud®
Terms of Use
| Privacy Policy