IEEE Access Special Section Editorial: Security and Privacy in Emerging Decentralized Communication Environments

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, face-to-face team working has changed into distanced work from home. Modern, decentralized digital communication environments are changing with the availability of new technologies and the development of new real-world applications, which lead to novel challenges in security and privacy protection. 5G/6G mobile applications, the smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices, big data applications, and cloud systems are developing to better meet new requirements. Mobile–cloud architecture is emerging as 5G /6G mobile IoT devices are generating large volumes of data which need cloud infrastructure to process. Many IoT systems and cloud systems are decentralized, and new security and privacy protection solutions are emerging in decentralized networks. The increasing interdependence of IT solutions accepted by society has led to a sharp increase in data. As a result, the chances of data leakage or privacy infringement also increase, along with the need for new solutions for digital security and privacy protection.