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WSNs have several applications in the military, the environment, and medicine. These applications often involve tracking sensor data, such as the actions of enemies on the battlefield or the position of people within a structure. As a result, Wireless sensor network (WSN) security is of prime concern. However, WSNs face many challenges, including low computing power, low memory, tight power supplies, vulnerability to physical detection, and unreliable wireless communication paths. These problems complicate the security of WSNs. This paper is an overview of the security of WSNs. This paper explains the number of security-related issues related to WSNs, including secure routing methods, various security attacks, etc. Then, the limitation of security in WSNs is examined and contrasted as challenging. Also, the pros and cons of multiple WSN security protocols are explained. For each open research question in each sub-area, conclusions are drawn regarding possible future study directions on safety in WSNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timeless nature of fairy tales can help uncover the timeless nature of many cybersecurity notions. Using 16 classical tales as illustration, in this article, the author shows that fairy tales are full of cybersecurity motifs and examples, and can thus be used extensively and effectively to explain cybersecurity notions. Obviously not cybersecurity as we know it today, but rather the fundamental and archetypal concepts that are at its heart. Fairy tales can thus be employed to mediate in conversations with less-knowledgeable, misinformed, or even skeptical laypersons about cybersecurity, increase their understanding and awareness, and thereby strengthen the overall cybersecurity of systems and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a previous work we presented formal specifications of idealized formulations of the permission model of Android in the Coq proof assistant. This formal development is about 23 KLOC of Coq code, including proofs. In this work the Coq model is encoded in { l o g } (‘setlog’)—a satisfiability solver and a constraint logic programming language— which is then used to automatically discharge most of the proofs performed in Coq. We show how the Coq model is encoded in { l o g } and how automated proofs are performed. The resulting { l o g } model is an automatically verified executable prototype of the Android permissions system. Detailed data on the empirical evaluation resulting after executing all the proofs in { l o g } is provided. The integration of Coq and { l o g } as to provide a framework featuring automated proof and prototype generation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Substitution-box (S-Box) is one of the essential components creating confusion and nonlinear properties in cryptography. To strengthen a cipher against various attacks, including side channel attacks, these boxes need to have numerous security properties. In this paper, a novel S-Box construction method is introduced aimed at improving the resistance of S-Boxes against power analysis attacks.Methods: In the preprocessing phase of this approach, a suitable initial S-Box with some basic security properties was generated by adopting a fast algorithm. Then, in the main stage, using the initial S-Box, we generate new S-Boxes which not only have the properties of the initial S-Box but also have significantly improved under another set of security properties. To do this, new S-Boxes were generated using a genetic algorithm on a particular subset of the linear combination set of coordinate functions of the initial S-Box.Results: The performed experiments demonstrated that the values of all security properties of these new S-Boxes, especially the measures of transparency order, signal-to-noise ratio, confusion coefficient, bijection property, fixed point, and opposite fixed points, have been substantially improved. For example, our experiments indicate that 70, 220, 2071, 43, and 406 S-Boxes are found better than the initial S-Box, respectively, in the dimensions of 4×4 through 8×8Conclusion: In this paper, a new S-Box construction method is introduced where the properties related to side channel attacks are improved, without destroying other security features. Besides, some results obtained from generated S-Boxes in the dimensions of 4×4 through 8×8 demonstrated that the generated S-Boxes are not only improved relative to the initial S-Box, but also in certain cases, considerably better than some well-known S-Boxes.

Background and Objectives: Substitution-Box (S-Box) is one of the essential components creating confusion and nonlinear properties in cryptography. To strengthen a cipher against various attacks, including side channel attacks, these boxes need to have numerous security properties. In this paper, a novel S-Box construction method is introduced aimed at improving the resistance of S-Boxes against power analysis attacks. Methods: In the preprocessing phase of this approach, a suitable initial S-Box with some basic security properties was generated by adopting a fast algorithm. Then, in the main stage, using the initial S-Box, we generate new S-Boxes which not only have the properties of the initial S-Box but also have significantly improved under another set of security properties. To do this, new S-Boxes were generated using a genetic algorithm on a particular subset of the linear combination set of coordinate functions of the initial S-Box. Results: The performed experiments demonstrated that the values of all security properties of these new S-Boxes, especially the measures of transparency order, signal-to-noise ratio, confusion coefficient, bijection property, fixed point, and opposite fixed points, have been substantially improved. For example, our experiments indicate that 70, 220, 2071, 43, and 406 S-Boxes are found better than the initial S-Box, respectively, in the dimensions of 4x4 through 8x8 Conclusion: In this paper, a new S-Box construction method is introduced where the properties related to side channel attacks are improved, without destroying other security features. Besides, some results obtained from generated S-Boxes in the dimensions of 4x4 through 8x8 demonstrated that the generated S-Boxes are not only improved relative to the initial S-Box, but also in certain cases, considerably better than some well-known S-Boxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more attention is being directed towards the Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) technology due to its many advantages such as high data rate, enhanced spectral and energy efficiency, massive connectivity, and low latency. On the other hand, secure data transmission remains a critical challenge in wireless communication systems since wireless channels are, in general, exposed. To increase the robustness of NOMA systems and overcome the issues related to wireless transmission, several Physical Layer Security (PLS) schemes have been recently presented. Unlike conventional security algorithms, this type of solutions exploits the dynamicity of the physical layer to secure data using a single iteration and minimum operations. In this paper, we survey the various NOMA-based PLS schemes in the literature, which target all kinds of security properties. From this study, we have noticed that the majority of the research work in this area is mainly focused on data confidentiality and privacy and not on other security properties such as device and source authentication, key generation, and message integrity. Therefore, we discuss the PLS data confidentiality schemes for NOMA and their limitations, challenges, and countermeasures, and we propose different methods to address the remaining security properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile edge computing (MEC) provides computing and data storage capabilities within the range of the wireless access network close to the users, which is driving the need for new type of security technologies. Faced with rapid traffic growth and increasing user experience requirements, the existing security schemes can no longer meet the new requirements of real time and lightweight. New solutions that do not require complex calculations, such as identity-based cryptography, attract great attention from researchers. To meet these demands, we design a new authentication architecture for MEC environment, which provides secure and efficient communication. Based on this authentication architecture, an anonymous identity-based scheme is proposed for lightweight devices. In the meantime, user anonymity is also fully protected. The proposed scheme is proved to be secure under a specific security model. In addition, we describe the security properties our scheme meets. The comparisons of time consumption and communicational cost are given at the end of the article, to demonstrate that our scheme performs prior to several previous schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tight security is an important requirement of practical cryptographic schemes. Compared with loosely‐secure schemes, tightly‐secure schemes allow shorter security parameters hence are more efficient. In CRYPTO 2018, Gjøsteen and Jager proposed a tightly‐secure authenticated key exchange (AKE) protocol. They used 'commitment trick' to construct a tight security reduction for their protocol. However, this technique leads to a three‐pass execution in their protocol, and their protocol cannot achieve key confirmation unless it is modified to have a four‐pass execution. In this study, the authors propose a tightly‐secure two‐pass AKE protocol. They use the twin Diffie–Hellman problem and the 're‐patch' trick of random oracles to construct a tight security reduction for their protocol. This technique allows their protocol to have a two‐pass execution. Their protocol provides several security properties such as key‐compromise‐impersonation security, unknown‐key‐share security, and weak perfect forward secrecy. Moreover, a three‐pass variant of their protocol provides key confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes the protocol for generating a master key for a system for exchanging fiscal features, generating a fiscal feature key with authentication of the means for generating and verifying fiscal features that are installed on the fiscal drive and in the equipment of fiscal data operators and the authorized body. This protocol is based on the use of known domestic cryptographic transformations and is aimed at ensuring the integrity and authenticity of data transmitted through the communication channel between the means of formation and means of verification of fiscal features. The protocol was developed in accordance with the recommendations of Rosstandart regarding the principles of the development and modernization of encryption (cryptographic) means of information protection and was issued in the form of a draft national standard proposed for public discussion and approval in accordance with the established procedure. The main result of this study is the formulation of certain security properties that are identical to those objectives that the intruder sets for the purpose of compromise. Already at the stage of creating a protocol, taking into account methods of compromise makes it possible to establish such structural features in this protocol that would ensure the fulfillment of specified security properties and the subsequent justification of their sufficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many research studies have suggested the integration of safety engineering at an early stage of modeling and system development using Model-Driven Architecture (MDA). This concept consists in deploying the UML (Unified Modeling Language) standard as aprincipal metamodel for the abstractions of different systems. To our knowledge, most of this work has focused on integrating security requirements after the implementation phase without taking them into account when designing systems. In this work, we focused our efforts on non-functional aspects such as the business logic layer, data flow monitoring, and high-quality service delivery. Practically, we have proposed a new UML profile for security integration and code generation for the Java platform. Therefore, the security properties will be described by a UML profile and the OCL language to verify the requirements of confidentiality, authorization, availability, data integrity, and data encryption. Finally, the source code such as the application security configuration, the method signatures and their bodies, the persistent entities and the security controllers generated from sequence diagram of system’s internal behavior after its extension with this profile and applying a set of transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certificateless signcryption (CLSC) can simultaneously fulfill certificateless encryption and certificateless signature; however, most CLSC schemes need costly computational overhead due to the usage of pairing operations. How to improve its computational efficiency is a very significant research problem. In this paper, we propose a pairing-free and secure CLSC scheme. In the random oracle model, the proposed scheme is indistinguishability against adaptive chosen-ciphertext attacks secure in confidentiality and unforgeability against adaptive chosen-message attacks secure in unforgeability. In the new scheme, only a designated receiver can recover the message, and a third party can verify the validity of a signcrypted text without knowing the receiver's secret value. In addition, this cryptographic algorithm is very appropriate to applications in online auction, email system and private contractual signature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we investigate the security of security-critical applications, i.e. applications in which a failure may produce consequences that are unacceptable. We consider three areas: mobile devices, virtualization platforms, and domain name systems. The Java Micro Edition platform defines the Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) to facilitate the development of applications for mobile devices, like cell phones and PDAs. We first study and compare formally several variants of the security model specified by MIDP to access sensitive resources of a mobile device. Hypervisors allow multiple guest operating systems to run on shared hardware, and offer a compelling means of improving the security and the flexibility of software systems. In this work we present a formalization of an idealized model of a hypervisor. We establish (formally) that the hypervisor ensures strong isolation properties between the different operating systems, and guarantees that requests from guest operating systems are eventually attended. We show also that virtualized platforms are transparent, i.e. a guest operating system cannot distinguish whether it executes alone or together with other guest operating systems on the platform. The Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) is a suite of specifications that provides origin authentication and integrity assurance services for DNS data. We finally introduce a minimalistic specification of a DNSSEC model which provides the grounds needed to formally state and verify security properties concerning the chain of trust of the DNSSEC tree. We develop all our formalizations in the Calculus of Inductive Constructions —formal language that combines a higher-order logic and a richly-typed functional programming language— using the Coq proof assistant.

Web service (WS) providers need to restrain access to private information when cooperating with business partners. This need is translated in practice by an abstraction phase where inner data is withheld from public view. However, just like hiding encryption keys is not enough to prove the secrecy of information in a communication protocol, this procedure cannot prove the goal of secrecy is attained. Security related literature has turned in the past couple of decades to a new, formal, security property, i.e., opacity, to both hide and prove the privacy of secrets. Following our previous work on the use of the Symbolic Observation Graph (SOG), on one hand, to abstract and compose Web services, and to verify the opacity of systems on the other, we show in this paper how the verification of three different types of opacity in SOG-abstracted WSs is translated to the opacity of their composites. We hence establish that the SOG is a suitable abstraction that allows to check these opacity variants locally to each component of a composite WS, and preserves opacity by composition (i.e., each WS component is opaque iff the composite WS is). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hazay et al. initiated the formal study of leakage‐resilient message authentication code (MAC) and presented a MAC scheme that is both leakage resilient and unforgeable against chosen message and no verification query attack (uf‐cm‐nvq). As the communication overhead of their construction is linear with the parameters that control the leakage bound, their scheme sacrifices efficiency in exchange for leakage resilience. In this study, the authors study the problem of designing leakage‐resilient MACs in the public‐key setting with acceptable communication efficiency. In particular, a notion called 'hidden identity weak hash proof system'(HID‐wHPS) is introduced. Then a generic MAC construction is presented under the abstraction framework of HID‐wHPS. Security properties guaranteed by HID‐wHPS enable us to prove the author's construction to be both leakage resilient and uf‐cm‐nvq in a modular way. Finally, performance analysis shows that their MAC construction yields improved tagging‐key size, tag size as well as computation overhead under the given leakage bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]