# An Overview of Distributed Firewalls and Controllers Intended for Mobile Cloud Computing
## 4 Challenges and Future Trends
### Future Trends  
Future research will concentrate on advancing the integration and functionality of SDN and NFV technologies. These advancements are crucial for creating a robust and flexible security framework that can efficiently manage distributed firewalls and controllers. A significant trend will be the development of advanced orchestration techniques to streamline the deployment and management of these systems, thereby facilitating seamless integration and scalability. A promising approach involves integrating machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) into MCC's security infrastructure. By embedding ML algorithms in distributed firewalls and controllers, it will be possible to facilitate real-time threat detection and the dynamic adjustment of security measures. Employing predictive analytics and automated response systems can significantly improve the security stance of MCC by identifying and addressing emerging threats effectively. For instance, anomaly detection systems powered by ML can monitor network traffic patterns, identify deviations indicative of potential security breaches, and autonomously adjust firewall rules to counteract these threats. Another area of focus will be the convergence of edge computing with SDN and NFV. This integration seeks to utilise local computational resources for processing security policies near the data source, which helps reduce latency and enhance response times. This approach is especially important in MCC environments, where low latency is crucial for real-time applications such as mobile gaming, augmented reality, and autonomous vehicle navigation. By decentralising security processes, edge computing can also alleviate the burden on centralised cloud resources, ensuring more efficient and resilient security management. In parallel, there will be a growing emphasis on developing privacy-preserving techniques within the architecture of CASB. As organisations increasingly adopt cloud services, ensuring compliance with stringent privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, will become a key concern. Future research is anticipated to delve into sophisticated cryptographic techniques, like homomorphic encryption and secure multi-party computation, to facilitate secure data processing without compromising user privacy. Additionally, incorporating differential privacy methods can enhance protection by adding noise to datasets, which helps obscure sensitive information even in aggregate analyses. Investigating blockchain technology as a means to improve security and trust in MCC systems represents another promising research avenue. The decentralised and immutable nature of blockchain can provide a transparent and tamper-resistant record of transactions and configurations, thereby ensuring greater accountability and traceability. This could be particularly beneficial for verifying the integrity of distributed firewall rules and the provenance of software updates in controllers' systems. Furthermore, another research direction could be exploring the optimisation of the resource allocation strategies in MCC. This involves the intelligent distribution of tasks and services across cloud and edge resources, factoring in both security and performance metrics. For instance, AI-driven decision-making frameworks can allocate resources dynamically by analysing network conditions and security needs in real time, ensuring both optimal utilisation and improved security. Finally, as 5G networks become more prevalent, their integration with SDN and NFV in MCC will be a critical area of research. The high-speed, low-latency capabilities of 5G will provide new opportunities for developing more responsive and adaptive security frameworks. Researchers must tackle issues concerning the security of 5G infrastructure, including potential vulnerabilities in network slicing and the management of massive IoT device deployments. The future of MCC security will be defined by the confluence of advanced technologies like AI, edge computing, blockchain, and 5G.