ATTRIBUTE-BASED AUTHENTICATION SCHEMES: A SURVEY

Abstract

Attribute-based authentication (ABA) is a way to authenticate users via attributes which are the properties of those to be authenticated, for example, resources, contextual information (time, location, etc.) or their combination. In ABA schemes, attributes instead of identity are requested to be presented or even evidence showing that users own the required attributes is enough, so it is more flexible and privacy-preserving compared with traditional identity-based authentication. In this paper, we first explain the general structure and security requirements of ABA schemes, and then give an example to demonstrate their cryptographic construction. Next, we analyze recent work and discuss future research topics on the construction of ABA schemes, including attribute tree building, cryptographic construction, security models, hierarchy, traceability and revocation.