Authenticated Hand-Over Algorithm for Group Communication

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel, efficient group authentication and hand-over algorithm using elliptic curve cryptography, enhancing security and scalability in mobile wireless networks.

Contribution

It proposes a new secure group authentication and hand-over method utilizing Lagrange interpolation and Weil pairing, reducing computational load and supporting multi-user authorization.

Findings

Lower computational load for group members compared to existing schemes

Supports simultaneous authorization of multiple users

Provides practical solutions for hand-over, replay, and man-in-the-middle attacks

Abstract

Shamir or Blakley secret sharing schemes are used for the authentication process in the studies before, but still secure group authentication and hand-over process remain as challenges in group authentication approaches. In this study, a novel method is proposed to provide a secure group authentication. The proposed approach also enables a hand-over process between groups by using Lagrange's polynomial interpolation and Weil pairing in elliptic curve groups for wireless networks with mobility support. One of the advantages of our proposed scheme is that the computational load for a member in the group is lower than the other schemes in the state-of-the-art. It is also possible to authorize many users at the same time, not one-to-one as in the group authentication methods in current cellular networks including Long Term Evolution (LTE). Another advantage that is not covered in other secret sharing methods is that the proposed approach constitutes a practical solution for the hand-over of members between different groups. We have also proposed a solution for replay and man-in-the-middle attacks in secret exchange.