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MuGKeG: Secure Multi-channel Group Key Generation Algorithm for Wireless Networks

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Abstract

The broadcast nature of communication channels in infrastructureless wireless networks poses challenges to security. In this paper, we propose a novel technique namely secure multi-channel group key generation (MuGKeG) algorithm. We utilize the available channels switching behaviour between multiple nodes to hide our key from eavesdropper. We provide descriptions for an illustrative base case of three users and one eavesdropper and expand it for the case of N users with C channels and M eavesdroppers. Repeated application of the MuGKeG algorithm on the order of \(O(\log {N})\) allows scaling the size of the group in the order of millions. We provide an analytical closed-form solution for the entropy of the secret group key generated when eavesdroppers follow an optimal attack strategy, and verify it by ns-3 simulations. Comparison with previous state-of-the-art schemes suggests that MuGKeG can provide upto 20 kbps increase in secrecy rate with a scalable key size.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, City University, London, UK

    Naumana Ayub

  2. Department of Computer Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA

    Mamoon Raja

  3. School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Saad Saleh & Muhammad U. Ilyas

  4. Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Mecca Province, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Muhammad U. Ilyas

Authors
  1. Naumana Ayub
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  2. Mamoon Raja
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  3. Saad Saleh
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  4. Muhammad U. Ilyas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Saad Saleh.

Appendix

Appendix

1.1 Flow Chart and Algorithms for MuGKeG

See Fig. 6.

Fig. 6
figure 6

Flow chart for MuGKeG for base case description between Alice (A), Bob (B), Calvin (C), Eve-fixed (\(E_f\)) and Eve-random (\(E_r\))

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Ayub, N., Raja, M., Saleh, S. et al. MuGKeG: Secure Multi-channel Group Key Generation Algorithm for Wireless Networks. Wireless Pers Commun 96, 4799–4818 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-017-4423-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-017-4423-9

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