Multiple trusted devices authentication protocol for ubiquitous computing applications

Abstract

The dynamicity of ubiquitous application environment where devices are free to connect and disconnect has made it exposed to adversaries. Identity impostor, man-in-the-middle attack and unauthorized access are some of the threats posed by the potential adversaries. These threats exist due to the lack of good authentication protocol for ubiquitous application environment. As a result, some users are keeping their distance from such applications. In this paper, a new authentication protocol which employs multiple trusted devices to validate other device's identity is introduced. The proposed protocol is somewhat different with the other authentication protocols in sense that it could avoid a single point of failure, promotes decentralization and also implements trust level in granting access. It is hoped that by implementing the proposed protocol, the integrity of the entities involved in a ubiquitous computing applications can be increased.