A Hardware Validation Framework for a Networked Dynamic Multi-factor Security Protocol

Abstract

As the use of low-power Internet of Things (IoT) devices becomes widespread, the volume of data generated and transmitted is increasing rapidly. However, transmitting sensitive data over unreliable wireless networks gives rise to an increased attack surface due to the lack of secure communication. Accordingly, a lightweight and secure communication protocol is required for transmitting data between IoT devices. In this paper, we present results of experiments to conduct the hardware validation of a novel secure communication protocol which was introduced in [1]. This previously developed protocol utilizes multiple factors for authentication, which are updated after every protocol iteration. Ensuring that the same factors are not reused for authentication reduces the risk of potential attacks. Our implementation of this protocol utilizes a True Random Number Generator (TRNG) for factor updates to ensure that the factors are not based on a deterministic algorithm. In addition, our experiments validate the unicast and multicast communication features of the protocol. Our hardware platform is based on a network of Raspberry Pi boards and is designed to be both fast and computationally lightweight. We present results of experiments we conducted to assess the ability of our implementation to withstand network errors and delays. We also present an approach to choose the timeout value for a hardware implementation of the protocol. Our results demonstrate that our unicast and multicast implementations are scalable, while exhibiting good power, energy, and delay characteristics, thereby making our approach suitable for secure communication for smart IoT applications.