Host revocation authority: A way of protecting mobile agents from malicious hosts

Abstract

Mobile agents are software entities that consist of code, data and state, and that can migrate autonomously from host to host executing their code. Despite its benefits, security issues restrict the use of code mobility. The approach that is presented here aids to solve the problem of malicious hosts by using a Trusted Third Party, the Host Revocation Authority. The HoRA controls which are the hosts that acted maliciously in the past. The agent sender must consult the HoRA before sending an agent in order to remove from the agent's itinerary all the revoked hosts. The HoRA can also revoke a malicious host if the agent sender detects and proves that this malicious host did not act honestly. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003.