Design and analysis of light-weight symmetric cryptographic frameworks and constructs for secure packet mode wireless communication

This thesis reports research undertaken to address the deficiencies that existing standardised cryptographic constructs exhibit when securing packet mode wireless communication in WSN. The aim of the research is to devise innovative cryptographic frameworks, which will facilitate design and implementation of light-weight symmetric cryptographic modular constructs. Four cryptographic frameworks have been devised and block cipher based light-weight constructs using the frameworks have been designed and benchmarked against contemporary standard constructs. The constructs introduced in this dissertation, proved to be better suited to providing secure packet mode data communication, in applications utilising wireless networks consisting of characteristically constrained nodes. The four proposed frameworks are: - The Zone-based framework for data packet integrity and authentication security services is proposed and described. The Quicker Block Chaining (QBC) family of message authentication constructs designed using the framework, are shown, via software simulation, to operate with better efficiency (i.e. uses fewer instruction cycles) than similar contemporary standard constructs and with a comparable level of security. - The Hybrid Encryption Mode (HEM) framework for data packet confidentiality security service is proposed and described. The HEM framework facilitated the design of constructs that provide probabilistic, randomising and tweakable encryption. - The Joint Cypher Mode (JCM) framework for authenticated encryption with associated-data (AEAD) security service is proposed and described. The range of constructs designed using the JCM framework, are shown, via software simulation and practical deployment, to Design and Analysis of Light-weight Symmetric Cryptographic Frameworks and Constructs for Secure Packet Mode Wireless Communication operate with better efficiency (i.e. uses fewer instruction cycles) than contemporary standard constructs. - The Joint Authenticated Combined Mode (JACM) framework for authenticate authenticated-encryption with associated-data (AAEAD) security service is proposed and described. The new AAEAD secure packet paradigm addresses a limitation and cryptographic protection failure of the standardised AEAD secure packet paradigm, in communication scenarios when untrustworthy intermediary forwarding nodes are utilised to authenticate and relay packets. The outcomes of the research undertaken are relevant to practitioners and cryptographic engineers that require symmetric cryptographic light-weight constructs for providing secure packet mode communications. It is shown that the resulting light-weight symmetric cryptographic constructs are better suited to providing secure packet mode wireless networked communication.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Greenwich

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Adekunle, Andrew A.

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Woodhead, Stephen
• Wetherall, Jodie

• TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering