An overlay approach to data security in ad-hoc networks

✍ Scribed by Jörg Liebeherr; Guangyu Dong

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 1018 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1570-8705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adhoc.2006.05.017

✦ Synopsis

While it has been argued that application-layer overlay protocols can enhance services in mobile ad-hoc networks, hardly any empirical data is available on the throughput and delay performance achievable in this fashion. This paper presents performance measurements of an application-layer overlay approach that ensures integrity and confidentiality of application data in an ad-hoc environment. A key management and encryption scheme, called neighborhood key method, is presented where each node shares secrets only with authenticated neighbors in the ad-hoc network, thus avoiding global re-keying operations. All proposed solutions have been implemented and empirically evaluated in an existing software system for application-layer overlay networking. Results from indoor and outdoor measurement experiments with mobile handheld devices provide insight into the performance and overhead of overlay networking and application-layer security services in ad-hoc networks.