Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2012/295

Broadcast-enhanced Key Predistribution Schemes

Michelle Kendall and Keith M. Martin and Siaw-Lynn Ng and Maura B. Paterson and Douglas R. Stinson

Abstract: We present a formalisation of a category of schemes which we call \emph{Broadcast-enhanced Key Predistribution Schemes}. These schemes can be used instead of a key predistribution scheme in any network which has access to a trusted base station and broadcast channel. In such networks, broadcast-enhanced key predistribution schemes can provide advantages over key predistribution schemes including flexibility and more efficient revocation. There are many possible applications and ways to implement broadcast-enhanced key predistribution schemes, and we propose a framework for describing, comparing and analysing them.

In their paper `From key predistribution to key redistribution', Cicho\'{n}, Go{\l}\c{e}biewski and Kuty{\l}owski propose a scheme for `redistributing' keys to a wireless sensor network using a broadcast channel after an initial key predistribution. We classify this as a broadcast-enhanced key predistribution scheme and analyse it in that context. We provide simpler proofs of some results from their paper, give a precise analysis of the resilience of their scheme, and discuss modifications based on defining a suitable keyring intersection threshold. In the latter half of the paper we suggest two particular scenarios where broadcast-enhanced key predistribution schemes may be particularly desirable and the relevant design goals to prioritise in each case. For each scenario we propose a suitable family of broadcast-enhanced key predistribution schemes and our analysis demonstrates their effectiveness in achieving their aims in resource-constrained networks.

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Publication Info: Submitted for publication

Date: received 28 May 2012

Contact author: michelle kendall 2009 at rhul ac uk

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Version: 20120603:193330 (All versions of this report)

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