In this paper we explore this issue, with specific reference to classes of key predistribution schemes based on transversal designs. We demonstrate through experiments that, for a wide range of parameters, randomly removing keyrings in fact has a negligible and largely predictable effect on the parameters of the scheme. In order to facilitate these computations, we provide a new, efficient, generally applicable approach to computing important properties of combinatorial key predistribution schemes.
We also show that the structure of a resolvable transversal design can be exploited to give a deterministic method of removing keyrings to adjust the network size, in such a way that the properties of the resulting scheme are easy to analyse. We show that these schemes have the same asymptotic properties as the transversal design schemes on which they are based, and that for most parameter choices their behaviour is very similar.
Category / Keywords: secret-key cryptography / combinatorial cryptography, key distribution Original Publication (in the same form): SAC 2013 Proceedings (to appear) Date: received 3 Sep 2013 Contact author: dstinson at uwaterloo ca Available format(s): PDF | BibTeX Citation Version: 20130904:142243 (All versions of this report) Short URL: ia.cr/2013/558 Discussion forum: Show discussion | Start new discussion