How to bootstrap security for ad-hoc network: Revisited

Abstract

There are various network-enabled and embedded computers deployed around us. Although we can get enormous conveniences by connecting them together, it is difficult to securely associate them in an ad-hoc manner. The difficulties originate from authentication and key distribution problems among devices that are strangers to each other. In this paper, we review the existing ways of initiating secure communication for ad-hoc network devices, and propose another solution. Exploiting Pairing-based cryptography and the notion of location-limited channel, the proposed solution bootstraps security conveniently and efficiently. Further, it supports ownership enforcement and key-escrow. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2009.