Perfectly Secure Communication, based on Graph-Topological Addressing in Unique-Neighborhood Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces unique-neighborhood networks, a graph-based topology approach enabling perfect secure communication without shared secrets or computational assumptions, enhancing authentication and network addressing.

Contribution

The paper proposes the concept of unique-neighborhood networks, a novel topology-aware addressing method that facilitates perfect security without traditional shared secrets.

Findings

Unique-neighborhood networks enable node identification via topology.

They support perfect end-to-end security without shared secrets.

Potential for wider application beyond authentication.

Abstract

We consider network graphs $G=(V,E)$ in which adjacent nodes share common secrets. In this setting, certain techniques for perfect end-to-end security (in the sense of confidentiality, authenticity (implying integrity) and availability, i.e., CIA+) can be made applicable without end-to-end shared secrets and without computational intractability assumptions. To this end, we introduce and study the concept of a unique-neighborhood network, in which nodes are uniquely identifiable upon their graph-topological neighborhood. While the concept is motivated by authentication, it may enjoy wider applicability as being a technology-agnostic (yet topology aware) form of addressing nodes in a network.