Group Secret Key Generation Algorithms

TL;DR

This paper introduces secret key generation protocols for pair-wise independent networks, optimizing key rates for various configurations, and demonstrates their optimality and efficiency using established techniques.

Contribution

It proposes new secret key agreement protocols tailored for pair-wise independent networks, with proven optimality and efficiency for different scenarios.

Findings

Protocols are optimal for two specific problems.

The third protocol is efficient in key rate.

The methods are based on point-to-point techniques and one-time pad.

Abstract

We consider a pair-wise independent network where every pair of terminals in the network observes a common pair-wise source that is independent of all the sources accessible to the other pairs. We propose a method for secret key agreement in such a network that is based on well-established point-to-point techniques and repeated application of the one-time pad. Three specific problems are investigated. 1) Each terminal's observations are correlated only with the observations of a central terminal. All these terminals wish to generate a common secret key. 2) In a pair-wise independent network, two designated terminals wish to generate a secret key with the help of other terminals. 3) All the terminals in a pair-wise independent network wish to generate a common secret key. A separate protocol for each of these problems is proposed. Furthermore, we show that the protocols for the first two problems are optimal and the protocol for the third problem is efficient, in terms of the resulting secret key rates.