Authentication planning for XOR network coding

TL;DR

This paper addresses optimizing authentication strategies in wireless sensor networks employing XOR network coding, focusing on minimizing energy use while maintaining security through message authentication codes.

Contribution

It introduces a binary non-linear optimization model for authentication planning in network coding, considering node decisions and MAC modes, demonstrated on a butterfly topology.

Findings

Trade-off identified between energy efficiency and message throughput.

Optimization model effectively balances security and resource consumption.

Results applicable to designing energy-aware secure network coding protocols.

Abstract

This paper formulates the authentication planning problem when network coding is implemented in a wireless sensor network. The planning problem aims at minimizing the energy consumed by the security application which is guarantied using message authentication codes. This paper proposes a binary non-linear optimization formulation for this planning problem whose decision variables are the authentication decision of the nodes and the MAC modes of operation. It is illustrated for a butterfly topology. Results show that there is a real trade-off between energy efficiency and message throughput in this context.