Vehicle Identity Anonymity Framework with Accountability for VANET Environment

In recent years, there has been rapid development in vehicle safety technology, with the emergence of various active safety systems including blind spot information systems, adaptive cruise control, and front collision warning systems. Simultaneously, car manufacturers and technology companies are actively exploring technologies in the realm of autonomous driving. To facilitate such applications, vehicles are required to communicate with each other, exchanging vital information such as position, speed, and acceleration. However, this exchange of information poses a potential risk of drivers’ personal data being compromised. For safety purposes, vehicles must undergo appropriate authentication before engaging in communication with other vehicles. Ensuring this authentication process maintains the anonymity of the vehicles is crucial. Yet, striking a balance between protecting vehicle anonymity and enabling vehicle identification when necessary remains a challenging issue. This paper introduces a multi-tier Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) framework designed to uphold the conditional anonymity and traceability of vehicles. The implementation of a group signature mechanism facilitates anonymous authentication, thereby enabling the realization of conditional anonymity and traceability. Moreover, comprehensive simulations and security analyses were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, demonstrating its efficiency while incorporating robust safety considerations.