An Authentication Framework for Wireless Sensor Networks using Identity-Based Signatures

Abstract

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), authentication is a crucial security requirement to avoid attacks against secure communication, and to mitigate DoS attacks exploiting the limited resources of sensor nodes. Resource constraints of sensor nodes are hurdles in applying strong public key cryptographic based mechanisms in WSNs. To address the problem of authentication in WSNs, we propose an efficient and secure framework for authenticated broadcast/multicast by sensor nodes as well as for outside user authentication, which utilizes identity based cryptography and online/offline signature schemes. The primary goals of this framework are to enable all sensor nodes in the network, firstly, to broadcast and/or multicast an authenticated message quickly; secondly, to verify the broadcast/multicast message sender and the message contents; and finally, to verify the legitimacy of an outside user. The proposed framework is also evaluated using the most efficient and secure identity-based signature schemes. Disciplines Physical Sciences and Mathematics Publication DetailsYasmin, R., Ritter, E. & Wang, G. (2010 Abstract-In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), authentication is a crucial security requirement to avoid attacks against secure communication, and to mitigate DoS attacks exploiting the limited resources of sensor nodes. Resource constraints of sensor nodes are hurdles in applying strong public key cryptographic based mechanisms in WSNs. To address the problem of authentication in WSNs, we propose an efficient and secure framework for authenticated broadcast/multicast by sensor nodes as well as for outside user authentication, which utilizes identity based cryptography and online/offline signature schemes. The primary goals of this framework are to enable all sensor nodes in the network, firstly, to broadcast and/or multicast an authenticated message quickly; secondly, to verify the broadcast/multicast message sender and the message contents; and finally, to verify the legitimacy of an outside user. The proposed framework is also evaluated using the most efficient and secure identity-based signature schemes.

A Survey on Secure and Efficient Data Transmission for Cluster-Based Wireless Sensor Networks (CWSN)

“…Resource restraint of sensor nodes are main trouble while applying strong public key cryptographic based mechanisms in WSNs. To deal with the problem of authentication in WSNs, in paper [6] they have proposed secure and efficient structure for authentic transmission by sensor nodes and for external user authentication, which uses identity based online/offline signature schemes. The main purpose of this structure are to allow all sensor nodes in the network, initially, to transmit an authenticated message speedily; secondly, to confirm the transmitted message sender and the message contents; and lastly, to confirm the authenticity of an external user.…”

Identity-based Authentication and Access Control in Wireless Sensor Networks

“…The authentication protocol decides how a node will authenticate in the network. Generally a system need to do four important functions such as user registration, user authentication, session key establishment and access control; to provide the access on data to the outsider users [1]. The user authentication ensures the only subscribe user can get access on the data.…”

“…User may authenticated by the base station, sensor nodes or both which is based on the protocol. Normally authentication can be done in two ways [1] centralized and distributed authentication. In centralized user authentication system, the users are authenticated by the base station.…”

“…Wireless sensor networks authentication can be classified into three categories [1] such as base station authentication, sensor node authentication, and user authentication. The base station authentication in WSN is same as the traditional networks where the base station are registered and authenticated by other base stations.…”

An Authentication Framework for Wireless Sensor Networks Using Identity-Based Signatures: Implementation and Evaluation

“…To handle these two problems, we proposed an authentication framework for WSNs in [5] using Identity(ID)-based Cryptography [6] and Online/Offline Signature (OOS) [7] schemes. This framework is comprised of two authentication schemes: quick authenticated broadcast/multicast by sensor nodes and outside user authentication.…”