A new authentication model for ad hoc networks

摘要

A new trust model for authentication in ad hoc networks is proposed. The model differentiates between the identity-based and public-key-based trusts for issuing the validity certificates that bind public keys to real-world identifiers. It includes a model for combining these trusts and a technique for computing the public-key-based trust. In this composite trust model, without or with recommendation, a new algorithm for node authentication on the basis of arbitrary graphs of previously issued validity certificates is developed. It is called the validity propagation algorithm and is computationally feasible even for large networks. In general, the proposed method is applicable to any public-key infrastructure, distributed or hierarchical, with or without certification authorities.