Identity-based secure collaboration in wireless ad hoc networks

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2006.05.012 Byline: Jianping Pan (a), Lin Cai (b), Xuemin (Sherman) Shen (c), Jon W. Mark (c) Keywords: Wireless ad hoc networks; Peer collaboration; Identity-based cryptography Abstract: Voluntary peer collaboration is often assumed in media access, route discovery, packet forwarding, and upper-layer protocols designed for wireless ad hoc networks. This assumption has been seriously challenged when peers are autonomous, selfish, or malicious in large-scale, heterogeneous networks. In this paper, based on the latest advances in identity-based cryptography, we design a lightweight and cheat-resistant micropayment scheme to stimulate and compensate collaborative peers that sacrifice their resources to relay packets for other peers. We also demonstrate that when security and collaboration measures are properly enforced, profitable collaboration is a preferable strategy for all peers in ad hoc networks. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Computer Science, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3P6 (b) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 3P6 (c) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1 Article History: Received 1 May 2006; Accepted 10 May 2006 Article Note: (miscellaneous) Responsible Editor: Dr. R. Boutaba