Location-based compromise-tolerant security mechanisms for wireless sensor networks

Abstract-- Node compromise is a serious threat to wireless sensor networks deployed in unattended and hostile environments. To mitigate the impact of compromised nodes, we propose a suite of location-based compromise-tolerant security mechanisms. Based on a new cryptographic concept called pairing, we propose the notion of location-based keys (LBKs) by binding private keys of individual nodes to both their IDs and geographic locations. We then develop an LBK-based neighborhood authentication scheme to localize the impact of compromised nodes to their vicinity. We also present efficient approaches to establish a shared key between any two network nodes. In contrast to previous key establishment solutions, our approaches feature nearly perfect resilience to node compromise, low communication and computation overhead, low memory requirements, and high network scalability. Moreover, we demonstrate the efficacy of LBKs in counteracting several notorious attacks against sensor networks. Fina...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2006
• Where: JSAC
• Authors: Yanchao Zhang, Wei Liu, Wenjing Lou, Yuguang Fang
• Keywords: JSAC 2006, Location-based Compromise-tolerant Security, Sensor Networks, Wireless Sensor Networks