A secure cross-domain authentication scheme based on threshold signature for MEC

Abstract

The widespread adoption of fifth-generation mobile networks has spurred the rapid advancement of mobile edge computing (MEC). By decentralizing computing and storage resources to the network edge, MEC significantly enhances real-time data access services and enables efficient processing of large-scale dynamic data on resource-limited devices. However, MEC faces considerable security challenges, particularly in cross-domain service environments, where every device poses a potential security threat. To address this issue, this paper proposes a secure cross-domain authentication scheme based on a threshold signature tailored to MEC’s multi-subdomain nature. The proposed scheme employs a (t,n) threshold mechanism to bolster system resilience and security, catering to large-scale, dynamic, and decentralized MEC scenarios. Additionally, the proposed scheme features an efficient authorization update function that facilitates the revocation of malicious nodes. Security analysis confirmed that the proposed scheme satisfies unforgeability, collusion resistance, non-repudiation and forward security. Theoretical evaluation and experimental simulation verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed scheme. Compared with existing schemes, the proposed scheme has higher computational performance while implementing secure authorization updates.