Authentication via wireless networks

TL;DR

This paper explores wireless network-based personal authentication methods using common encryption techniques like AES and MD5, enabling secure user verification on mobile devices without traditional tokens.

Contribution

It introduces a practical authentication approach via Personal Area Networks using standard encryption, adaptable to various mobile devices and operating systems.

Findings

Effective authentication over Bluetooth and IrDA networks.

Compatibility with devices like Pocket PC PDA with Windows CE.

Utilization of AES and MD5 encryption for security.

Abstract

Personal authentication is an important process we encounter almost every day; when we are logging on a computer, entering a company where we work, or a restricted area, when we are using our plastic credit cards to pay for a service or to complete some other financial transaction, etc. In each of these processes of personal authentication some kind of magnetic or optical token is required. But by using novel technologies like mobile computing and wireless networking, it is possible to avoid carrying multitude of ID cards or remembering a number of PIN codes. Article shows how to efficiently authenticate users via Personal Area Networks (PAN) like Bluetooth or IrDA using commonplace AES (Rijndel) or MD5 encryption. This method can be implemented on many types of mobile devices like Pocket PC PDA with Windows CE (Windows Mobile 2003) real-time operating system, or any other customized OS, so we will explain all components and key features of such basic system.