A dynamic integrity and data confidentiality based wireless N2N data communication and security protocol on large networks

Due to the resource limitations of sensor nodes, providing a security protocol is a particular challenge in sensor networks. One popular method is the neighborhood-based key agreement protocol (NEKAP). NEKAP is an efficient and lightweight protocol, but it includes loopholes through which adversaries may launch replay attacks by successfully masquerading as legitimate nodes. In this paper, we present a modified security protocol for wireless sensor networks. We provide four types of keys for each node, which adapt to different security requirements; and an improvement is made to alleviate the replay attack. According to our qualitative performance analyses, the proposed security protocol provides effectiveness in terms of authentication security, attacking node detection, and replay attack resilience when compared to the conventional method.

Vehicle-IT convergence technology is a rapidly rising paradigm of modern vehicles, in which an electronic control unit (ECU) is used to control the vehicle electrical systems, and the controller area network (CAN), an in-vehicle network, is commonly used to construct an efficient network of ECUs. Unfortunately, security issues have not been treated properly in CAN, although CAN control messages could be life-critical. With the appearance of the connected car environment, in-vehicle networks (e.g., CAN) are now connected to external networks (e.g., 3G/4G mobile networks), enabling an adversary to perform a long-range wireless attack using CAN vulnerabilities. In this paper we show that a long-range wireless attack is physically possible using a real vehicle and malicious smartphone application in a connected car environment. We also propose a security protocol for CAN as a countermeasure designed in accordance with current CAN specifications. We evaluate the feasibility of the proposed security protocol using CANoe software and a DSP-F28335 microcontroller. Our results show that the proposed security protocol is more efficient than existing security protocols with respect to authentication delay and communication load.

In this paper, a suite of lightweight security protocols for the Internet of Things (IoT) is presented. It comprises protocols for lightweight encryption, authentication as well as key management. The key management protocol is the application of our early work on information theoretically secure key management to IoT; it is computationally efficient and information-theoretically secure, and enables that every data item (file) is encrypted with its own random key. The security and computational efficiency of the proposed protocols are compared with those of IPsec, which is the most commonly used suite of network-layer security protocols in Internet based applications but not desirable, due to its computationally-intensive procedures, to IoT applications and cyber-physical systems (CPS) with resource and computation-capability constraints. The proposed security protocols can be employed in IoT and CPS applications, replacing the IPsec core algorithms or the whole IPsec suite, to achieve a higher level of security with a very low resource consumption that helps to maintain the system sustainability.

Ensuring the security and privacy of patient data is a critical concern in the healthcare industry. The growing utilization of electronic data transmission and storage in medical records has amplified apprehensions about data security. However, due to varying stakeholder interests, not all data can be freely shared, necessitating the development of secure protocols. This study presents a highly secure protocol that integrates blockchain technology, patient biometric information, and robust cryptographic algorithms (elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) and advanced encryption algorithm (AEC)) to facilitate data encryption and decryption. The protocol encompasses secure login, secure key sharing, and data sharing mechanisms among miners, offering comprehensive security measures. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed protocol, both informal and formal security analyses are conducted. The security protocol description language in Scyther is utilized to evaluate the protocol's resilience against attacks. The culmination of this research is a secure protocol that leverages blockchain technology and ECC for the secure storage and sharing of medical records. The protocol covers all stages, including system setup, user registration, login mechanisms, key exchange between users and blockchain, communication between blockchains, and interaction with other miners, with a steadfast emphasis on security. Furthermore, the protocol's communication and computation costs are assessed, with a comparison to existing blockchain-based schemes. Informal proofs establish the protocol's security against common attacks faced by medical institutions. Formal simulation of the protocol using the Scyther tool provides definitive evidence of its resistance to attacks. As a result, this protocol presents a viable real-time implementation solution for safeguarding patient data within the healthcare domain, representing a significant contribution to data security.

Sensor nodes used to transmit sensitive data, especially in military applications, require securing the data transmitted through the WSNs to maintain the confidentiality of the data and authenticate the participating sensor nodes. Since sensor nodes suffer from limited resources, in memory storage, computing power, energy capabilities and transmission rates, available network security protocols are inadequate. Symmetric algorithms cannot provide the same degree of security as public key algorithms, leading us to devise a new algorithm SHESP that uses public keys within the limitations of sensor nodes. This paper presents a way to utilise existing public key algorithms such as RSA, Diffie-Hellmann and elliptic curve in the field of WSN security by dividing the network into clusters. Our algorithm supplies data confidentiality, node authentication and data integrity while remaining within acceptable memory, time and energy constraints. We provide theoretical and experimental evidence to validate our algorithms. Results reveal significant improvement in data availability, data confidentiality and authenticity while reducing the communication and computation overhead.

Wireless network security protocols are essential for enhancing security, privacy and confidentiality. However, network security protocols also require network resources in other to carry out authentication of users through the use of encryption keys and packet encryption. It is therefore relevant to investigate the effects of the amount of resources used by recommended wireless network security protocols in other to determine if user quality of experience and user quality of service is affected by the implementation wireless network security protocols. Our research investigates and examines the effect of security protocols on wireless network performance. The Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 - PreShared Key (WPA2-PSK) was used as the security protocol in focus while throughput was the network performance feature that was analyzed. Experiments were carried out which showed that throughput in a non-secured Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) is a bit higher than throughput in a secured WLAN. Our research contributes to the future development of WLAN protocols with low network resource consumption in other to contribute to improved network performance.

This review chapter provides an in-depth exploration of various aspects of data security, ranging from foundational principles to advanced techniques. It sheds light on the importance of maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and presents a comprehensive overview of technologies and methodologies that can be employed to achieve robust data security. In today's digital age, ensuring the security and protection of data has become paramount. This research chapter explores various topics related to data security, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It also delves into the role of blockchain technology, zero-trust architecture, secure coding practices, legal and ethical considerations, homomorphic encryption, secure multi-party computation, hash functions and digital signatures, secure communication protocols, cryptocurrency and blockchain security, as well as cryptanalysis and side-channel attacks.It highlights various techniques and technologies that can be employed to protect data confidentiality, including encryption and access control mechanisms. Blockchain technology has emerged as a groundbreaking solution for enhancing data security. Zero-trust architecture challenges traditional security models by adopting a holistic and dynamic approach to data protection. Secure coding practices and DevSecOps play a vital role in developing secure software applications. The chapter investigates the importance of integrating security measures throughout the software development lifecycle. It emphasizes the adoption of secure coding practices and the implementation of DevSecOps methodologies to build resilient and secure software systems. Legal and ethical considerations are crucial when addressing data security. Homomorphic encryption and secure multi-party computation are advanced cryptographic techniques that allow data to be processed securely while encrypted. The chapter examines the principles and applications of these techniques, highlighting their significance in scenarios where privacy is paramount. Hash functions and digital signatures form the backbone of data authentication and integrity. The chapter discusses the properties and applications of hash functions and digital signatures in verifying the integrity and authenticity of data. Secure communication protocols are essential for protecting data during transmission. The chapter explores various secure communication protocols, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS), and examines their role in ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. Cryptocurrency and blockchain security focus on the secure storage and transfer of digital assets. The research chapter investigates the security considerations specific to cryptocurrencies and explores how block chain technology can mitigate vulnerabilities and ensure the trustworthiness of transactions. Cryptanalysis and side-channel attacks are threats to cryptographic systems. The chapter discusses these attack techniques, highlighting their potential risks and the measures that can be taken to counter them.

Data aggregation processes aim to reduce the amount of exchanged data in wireless sensor networks and consequently minimize the packet overhead and optimize energy efficiency. Securing the data aggregation process is a real challenge since the aggregation nodes must access the relayed data to apply the aggregation functions. The data aggregation security problem has been widely addressed in classical homogeneous wireless sensor networks, however, most of the proposed security protocols cannot guarantee a high level of security since the sensor node resources are limited. Heterogeneous wireless sensor networks have recently emerged as a new wireless sensor network category which expands the sensor nodes’ resources and capabilities. These new kinds of WSNs have opened new research opportunities where security represents a most attractive area. Indeed, robust and high security level algorithms can be used to secure the data aggregation at the heterogeneous aggregation nodes which is impossible in classical homogeneous WSNs. Contrary to the homogeneous sensor networks, the data aggregation security problem is still not sufficiently covered and the proposed data aggregation security protocols are numberless. To address this recent research area, this paper describes the data aggregation security problem in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks and surveys a few proposed security protocols. A classification and evaluation of the existing protocols is also introduced based on the adopted data aggregation security approach.

Recently Mode 4 operation of Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) specifies the operation of vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-pedestrian and vehicle-to-UE-stationary over the PC5 interface. However, the security is delegated to the application layer, which is out of the scope of the 3GPP-layer specification. Hence, we propose a transparent and independent distributed security protocol for C-V2X over the PC5 interface at the RLC-layer based on cryptographic ratchets. Our new proposed security protocol provides authenticated encryption, integrity, forward and backward secrecy. The security procedure can start on the fly as soon as vehicles enter a C-V2X group over the PC5 interface, using the cryptographic credentials of the digital certificate issued for ITS applications. The distributed security protocol supports strong encryption, authentication and privacy regardless of the use case in 5G applications for C-V2X over the PC5 interface.

Formal Verification of Confidentiality in DNSSEC and E-DNSSEC Protocols using pi-calculus and ProVerif

Student health records play a pivotal role in nursing education, offering a comprehensive insight into students' health histories, immunization statuses, and clinical experiences. This study aims to identify the challenges and specific needs of NEUST-CON students to develop an efficient health record management system, design an Electronic Medical Record that outlines data collection, storage, security, and access protocols, and create a system prototype incorporating essential features and functionalities based on user requirements. This study utilizes applied quantitative research to gather numerical data, objectively measuring factors like the frequency and impact of issues related to record accessibility, availability, data retrieval and update, and data security and privacy. Furthermore, it employs a descriptive correlational design to examine the relationships between the demographic profile and the challenges on the student health information record system among NEUST-CON students. Findings revealed that most nursing students at NEUST are female, aged 18 to 21, primarily in their first year. The study identified challenges related to availability, accessibility, data retrieval and update, and data security and privacy in student health information records. Notably, availability emerged as the most pressing challenge. While overall satisfaction was reported among respondents, data security and privacy concerns persisted. A significant relationship was also observed between students' year levels and ages. Therefore, enhancements in infrastructure and functionalities are essential to ensure consistent availability of data and resources, mitigating downtime and ensuring uninterrupted access to the SHIR prototype system.

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is an emerging wireless communication networks to provide potential secure optimized data routing between source and destination. Presently the performance analysis of the Wireless Sensor Network routing technique and security protocols is the major research issues. A major issue in wireless sensor network (WSN) is the energy constraint in a node and its limited computing resources, which may pose an operational hazard or limitations on the network lifetime. Therefore, analyses of innovative secure routing techniques are required to utilize the resources of WSN to improve the life time of network in WSN. To design & develop any innovative wireless sensor network routing and security protocol, the network characteristics & its design issues are important consideration. The proposed spherical Grid Routing Protocol (SGRP) is designed and developed to enhance Quality of service to improve WSN performance using NS2 simulator compare to compared to modified LEACH techniques. The packet transmitted, packet received, average energy, throughput and packet delivery ratio are the main common performance measures that are used for performance analysis of proposed SGRP protocols.

Despite the important role that WiFi networks play in home and enterprise networks they are relatively weak from a security standpoint. With easily available directional antennas, attackers can be physically located off-site, yet compromise WiFi security protocols such as WEP, WPA, and even to some extent WPA2 through a range of exploits specific to those protocols, or simply by running dictionary and human-factors attacks on users' poorly-chosen passwords. This presents a security risk to the entire home or enterprise network. To mitigate this ongoing problem, we propose SecureArray, a system designed to operate alongside existing wireless security protocols, adding defense in depth against active attacks. SecureArray's novel signal processing techniques leverage multi-antenna access point (AP) to profile the directions at which a client's signals arrive, using this angle-of-arrival (AoA) information to construct highly sensitive signatures that with very high probability uniquely identify each client. Upon overhearing a suspicious transmission, the client and AP initiate an AoA signature-based challenge-response protocol to confirm and mitigate the threat. We also discuss how SecureArray can mitigate direct denial-of-service attacks on the latest 802.11 wireless security protocol. We have implemented SecureArray with an eight-antenna WARP hardware radio acting as the AP. Our experimental results show that in a busy office environment, SecureArray is orders of magnitude more accurate than current techniques, mitigating 100% of WiFi spoofing attack attempts while at the same time triggering false alarms on just 0.6% of legitimate traffic. Detection rate remains high when the attacker is located only five centimeters away from the legitimate client, for AP with fewer numbers of antennas and when client is mobile.

Today, many hospitals have a running enterprise picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and their administrators should have the tools to measure the system activity and, in particular, how much it is used. The information would be valuable for decision-makers to address asset management and the development of policies for its correct utilization and eventually start training initiatives to get the best in resource utilization and operators' satisfaction. On the economic side, a quantitative method to measure the usage of the workstations would be desirable to better redistribute existing resources and plan the purchase of new ones. The paper exploits in an unconventional way the potential of the IHE Audit Trail and Node Authentication (ATNA) profile: it uses the data generated in order to safeguard the security of patient data and to retrieve information about the workload of each PACS workstation. The method uses the traces recorded, according to the profile, for each access to image data and to calculate how much each station is used. The results, constituted by measures of the frequency of PACS station usage suitably classified and presented according to a convenient format for decision-makers, are encouraging. In the time of the spending review, the careful management of available resources is the top priority for a healthcare organization. Thanks to our work, a common medium such as the ATNA profile appears a very useful resource for purposes other than those for which it was born. This avoids additional investments in management tools and allows optimization of resources at no cost.

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is an online device that senses and transmits medical data from users to physicians within a time interval. In, recent years, IoMT has rapidly grown in the medical field to provide healthcare services without physical appearance. With the use of sensors, IoMT applications are used in healthcare management. In such applications, one of the most important factors is data security, given that its transmission over the network may cause obtrusion. For data security in IoMT systems, blockchain is used due to its numerous blocks for secure data storage. In this study, Blockchain-assisted secure data management framework (BSDMF) and Proof of Activity (PoA) protocol using malicious code detection algorithm is used in the proposed data security for the healthcare system. The main aim is to enhance the data security over the networks. The PoA protocol enhances high security of data from the literature review. By replacing the malicious node from the block, the PoA can provide high security for medical data in the blockchain. Comparison with existing systems shows that the proposed simulation with BSD-Malicious code detection algorithm achieves higher accuracy ratio, precision ratio, security, and efficiency and less response time for Blockchain-enabled healthcare systems.