Digital signature and authentication mechanisms using new customized hash function for cognitive radio networks

Wireless technologies, applications and services have been witnessed a rapid growth in the past few years, due to this development, spectrum scarcity and shortage has become a major concern, several spectrum portions of the static allocated licensed bands are under-utilized. Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) are considered to be the most promising solution in improving the spectrum utilization and solving the spectrum scarcity by providing licensed spectrum portions to unlicensed users, however due to nature of these networks, CRNs are exposed to different types of threats and attacks from different malicious users, which can affect the network availability and performance, in this paper a proposed authentication mechanisms and digital signature scheme applied using new customized hash function for CRNs, the proposed model simulated and tested to provide both primary and secondary users data authentication, data integrity and non-repudiation in CRNs, achieving a defend strategy from the well-known attacks that could be launched by malicious, selfish users, threats and vulnerabilities in CRNs.