Multi-level key establishment with space-time graphs for delay tolerant networks

Abstract

Protected, low-overhead key establishment is vital to maintain the high level of confidence and security for Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs). A few works presenting solutions to DTN key establishment have concentrated principally on targeted networking atmospheres. In this work, to deal with the key establishment concern for Bundle Protocol (BP), a time-evolving topology model and two-channel cryptography are formulated to design well-organized and non-interactive multilevel key exchange protocol. A time-evolving model is employed to properly model the periodic and fixed behaviour patterns of space DTNs, and consequently a node can plan when and to whom it should transmit its public key. In the meantime, the application of two-channel cryptography allows DTN nodes to exchange their public keys or revocation position information, with authentication assurance and in a non-interactive approach. This approach facilitates to set up a secure block to maintain BSP, tolerating huge delays, and unanticipated loss of connectivity of space DTNs. The experimental investigation reveals the security enforcement and provides enhancement in performance for DTN network maintenance.