Matrix-based key pre-distribution schemes in WMNs using pre and post deployment knowledge. (2015) - Zhang, Yuexin
Like other types of wireless networks, wireless communication in wireless mesh networks (WMNs) is vulnerable to many malicious activities. Thus it is a must to protect wireless transmission by proper security measures. As a fundamental security technology, symmetric key pre-distribution has been widely studied to ensure the security of wireless communication. This paper presents two matrix-based pairwise key establishment schemes for mesh clients. In our schemes, a mesh client only needs to pre-load an independent key seed which can be used to generate a column of secret matrix. It can establish pairwise keys with neighbour clients after mesh routers broadcast public matrices. Motivated by this heterogeneity (mesh routers are much more powerful than mesh clients, both in communication and storage), energy-consuming operations can be delegated to mesh routers to alleviate the overhead of mesh clients when they establish pairwise keys. By using pre and post deployment knowledge, neighbour mesh clients in our scheme can directly establish pairwise keys with a very light communication and storage cost.