Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2012/645

Simple, Efficient and Strongly KI-Secure Hierarchical Key Assignment Schemes

Eduarda S. V. Freire, Kenneth G. Paterson, Bertram Poettering

Abstract: Hierarchical Key Assignment Schemes can be used to enforce access control policies by cryptographic means. In this paper, we present a new, enhanced security model for such schemes. We also give simple, efficient, and strongly-secure constructions for Hierarchical Key Assignment Schemes for arbitrary hierarchies using pseudorandom functions and forward-secure pseudorandom generators. We compare instantiations of our constructions with state-of-the-art Hierarchical Key Assignment Schemes, demonstrating that our new schemes possess an attractive trade-off between storage requirements and efficiency of key derivation.

Category / Keywords: cryptographic protocols / efficient key assignment, arbitrary hierarchies, provable security

Publication Info: This is the full version of the corresponding paper on CT-RSA 2013

Date: received 13 Nov 2012, last revised 22 Mar 2013

Contact author: bertram poettering at rhul ac uk

Available format(s): PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20130322:171430 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2012/645