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A Probabilistic Polynomial-time Calculus For Analysis of Cryptographic Protocols: (Preliminary Report)

✍ Scribed by J. Mitchell; A. Ramanathan; A. Scedrov; V. Teague


Publisher
Elsevier Science
Year
2001
Tongue
English
Weight
294 KB
Volume
45
Category
Article
ISSN
1571-0661

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✦ Synopsis


We describe properties of a process calculus that has been developed for the purpose of analyzing security protocols. The process calculus is a restricted form of π-calculus, with bounded replication and probabilistic polynomial-time expressions allowed in messages and boolean tests. In order to avoid problems expressing security in the presence of nondeterminism, messages are scheduled probabilistically instead of nondeterministically. We prove that evaluation may be completed in probabilistic polynomial time and develop properties of a form of asymptotic protocol equivalence that allows security to be specified using observational equivalence, a standard relation from programming language theory that involves quantifying over possible environments that might interact with the protocol. We also relate process equivalence to cryptographic concepts such as pseudo-random number generators and polynomial-time statistical tests.