Location-based access control system for mobile devices using bluetooth low energy technology

Abstract

The increasing presence of smart mobile devices in sensitive environments raises significant security and privacy concerns, particularly due to the unauthorized usage of built-in sensors such as cameras and microphones. However, space owners currently have limited means to enforce restrictions on mobile devices within their premises. To address this issue, we propose a novel location-based access control system utilizing bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons to dynamically enforce security policies. The proposed system introduces the jumbo beacon concept, which enables fragmented transmission and reassembly of signed access control policies, overcoming BLE payload limitations. Unlike centralized enforcement models, our approach is fully decentralized, eliminating the need for a trusted central server and providing a flexible, scalable mechanism for enforcing fine-grained access policies. The system is implemented as a native security module within the Android operating system, ensuring tamper-resistant enforcement of policies while preventing unauthorized modifications. A proof-of-concept implementation demonstrates the system’s effectiveness, highlighting its real-time policy enforcement capabilities and resilience against adversarial threats. The results indicate that our approach offers a lightweight, scalable, and secure solution for enforcing location-based access control in dynamic environments.