Development of a trustworthy authentication system in mobile ad-hoc networks for disaster area

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a MANET authentication model for communication between victims in disaster areas. Our model is as secure as the Self-Generated-Certificate Public Key without pairing scheme [1], but does not require a direct connection to a centralized CA. We achieve this by combining two adjusted protocols into two independent authentication modes: main mode and emergency mode. In our scenario, a disaster area is partitioned into two adjacent zones: a damage zone (most infrastructures inside are damaged by a severe disaster), and an infrastructure zone. This partition is based on our observation from many real life disaster situations. A node, called a carrier (rescue node), moves between the two zones in order to relay between them. Our proposed hybrid approach has higher availability and more efficiency than the traditional approaches. In our system, an encrypted message can be used to verify both senders and receivers as well as to preserve confidentiality and integrity of data. The key to the success of our model is the mobility of the rescue nodes. Our model is validated using NS-3 simulator. We present security and efficiency analysis by comparing to the traditional approaches.