This edition of Intricate-Sec is centered on Resource Constrained Computing. Computing under resource constraints is a relatively new field in computer science, in which we seek to develop solutions that are viable in terms of performance. Application examples emerge in rural/remote developing world regions where access to computational resources and in-house human capital (in terms of specialised expertise) is impeded for economic reasons. In such cases, it makes sense to seek cost-effective alternatives to deploying Internet services.

Typical solution models rely on mobile phones, and lossy communication networks as a cost effective approach to service delivery. Using a trusted centralised framework for service delivery is not always feasible in these cases, and so distributed management offers a viable alternative. Distributed management however, raises concerns centered around subversion whereby in contrast to standard adversarial models, the malicious party seeks to mask attacks as faults with the goal of gaining some advantage without necessarily provoking a breakdown of the communication network. While seemingly harmless on initial level, when conducted over an extended period and by multiple parties, such attacks can result in unreliable and untrustworthy performance.