Method for ensuring security and privacy in a wireless cognitive network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9445263-B2
Application number	US-201414528464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 8, 2009
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

In some embodiments, authentication, confidentiality, and privacy are enhanced for a wireless network of cognitive radios by encryption of network management and control messages as well as data traffic, thereby protecting information pertaining to node identification, node location, node-sensed incumbent transmissions, CRN frequency channel selections, and such like. During initial network registration, a temporary ID can be issued to a node, and then replaced once encrypted communication has been established. This prevents association of initial, clear-text messages with later encrypted transmissions. Elliptic curve cryptography can be used for mutual authentication between subscribers and the base station. ECC-based implicit digital certificates can be embedded in co-existence beacons used by CRN nodes to coordinate use of frequency channels, thereby preventing denial of service attacks due to transmitting of falsified beacons. Similar certificates can be embedded within identity beacons used to protect certain incumbents from interference by the CRN.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for ensuring security and privacy of communications over a wireless network of cognitive radios (“CRN”), the method comprising encrypting network management and control messages transmitted over the CRN using elliptic curve cryptography (“ECC”) and a “management-message-protection-key (“MMP”),
said network management and control messages including information regarding signals detected by a node, and at least one of node identifying information and node location information,
said MMP being determined from a pre-Primary Authorization Key (pre-PAK) included in an authorization reply sent by a base station in response to an authorization request by a subscriber,
said authorization request including:
a request random number generated by the subscriber;
a subscriber identifying certificate;
a list of cryptographic suites that are supported by the subscriber; and
an ECC-based signature that incorporates information derived from all elements of the authorization request;

said authorization acknowledgement including:
the request random number;
an acknowledgement random number;
the pre-PAK, said pre-PAK being encrypted;
a base station identifying certificate; and
an ECC-based signature that incorporates information derived from all elements of the authorization acknowledgement.

Assignees

• Bae Sys Inf & Elect Sys Integ

Inventors

• Reddy Ranga
• Kiernan Thomas
• Mody Apurva N

Classifications

• H04W16/14

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title

• H04L9/0822

  using key encryption key · CPC title

• H04L9/3066

  involving algebraic varieties, e.g. elliptic or hyper-elliptic curves · CPC title

• H04K3/65

  using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal · CPC title

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title